Fading Sentiment
by The Dragon's Throne
Summary: Sequel to Lingering Vengeance. Do fallen heroes deserve second chances? Can Terra forge a new life for himself with Aqua by his side? Or will an enemy from their past force Terra down the path of darkness once again? Discontinued, and up for adoption.
1. Prologue

Prologue: Tale of Triumph and Tears.

_I have lived._

_I have died._

_I was once a student._

_I was trained to master the power of an ancient and legendary weapon few could hold, much less wield._

_The weapon of legends._

_The Keyblade._

_One legend, claims it brought order and peace, banishing shadows so light could grow._

_Another._

_Another says it wrought ruin and shattered light, letting darkness spread._

_I know…exactly what my Keyblade has wrought._

_I had friends, fellow students in the training to master the Keyblade._

_A young boy, who was as energetic as the wind itself._

_I considered him my brother._

_And her…_

_She moved with a grace that rivaled water itself._

_I… don't know what she was to me._

_No matter how hard I try to forget, I know exactly when my end began._

_When he appeared._

_The old master._

_He spoke his lies, whispered his words that tempted my weakness._

_I wielded the legendary Keyblade._

_But that was not enough._

_I wanted to become stronger._

_I wanted power._

_Because I was scared._

_Scared the strength I already held, would not be enough to protect my friends._

_And in my desperation for more power, I followed after the old master._

_And deeper down the path of ruin and darkness._

_The farther and further down the path I walked…_

_The more my hands became stained with innocent blood._

_I did not realize my mistakes until the end._

_As my Keyblade struck my true teacher down, my heart and body immersed in the power of darkness._

_And what a power it was._

_It could make anyone crave a taste more then once._

_But it comes with a price._

_I wanted this power to protect my friends._

_And this very power would only destroy them._

_I confronted the old master on the site of another legend tied with the Keyblade._

_The ancient cracked and bloodstained soil, impaled with the rusted and lifeless keys of the long dead Keyblade masters._

_It was not an ancient battleground._

_It was a graveyard._

_At the time, I thought it fitting._

_I swore to myself, I would only use that terrible power darkness offered, one last time._

_I would use it to kill the old master._

_My final sin._

_But in truth…_

_The moment I stepped onto that ancient bloodstained graveyard my fate was sealed._

_I had planned to destroy the old master on this ancient site, far from my friends, hoping they would never learn of my sins._

_But this was not to be._

_My friends followed after me, hoping to save me and steer off the path of ruin and darkness._

_I was not worthy of such devotion._

_For the light they offered wasn't enough to satisfy this lust for power born in my heart._

_One last battle was fought on that ancient battleground._

_And I had succeeded in defeating the old master with the power given to me by my darkness._

_Exactly as the old master hoped._

_And in the evil old man's dying moments, he revealed his desire:_

_A desire to know why a war of Keyblade masters was fought, who the victor was. The old master knew the secret lay within an ancient power, greater then darkness and light._

_Every world has a heart, like a person does._

_And every heart, be it from people or worlds, comes from somewhere._

_The power of the Heart of all Worlds._

_Kingdom Hearts._

_The old master raved he would unite with this power and learn the secrets of the heart and Keyblade._

_I should have struck him down there._

_But I thought it the mad ravings of a dying old man._

_And then what happened next, I will never forget._

_No matter how hard I try…_

_The old master raised his terrible Keyblade, a destructive ebon blade that mocked the concept of a weapon forged by light…_

_And plunged it into his chest._

_I watched, horrified._

_As the old master's heart and soul emerged from his fading body._

_And at last, I understood._

_I understood everything._

_I tried to defend myself, to save myself._

_My teacher had given me a suit of armor, to protect me from the darkness._

_I summoned it._

_But the heart plunged into my body, as if my armor was nothing._

_I will never forget that pain._

_I was consumed by something darker and blacker then darkness itself._

_And then…_

_I was watching myself._

_But not myself._

_The person looked like me._

_But wasn't me._

_He was hatred and malice melded into one being, all cruelty and power._

_And his eyes…_

_A burning yellow, cold and unfeeling._

_It was me._

_But it was also the master, old no more._

_His voice, my voice, spoke._

"_His heart belongs again to darkness. All worlds begin in darkness and also end…The heart is not different. Darkness sprouts within it, it grows and consumes it._

"_Such is its nature. In the end, every heart will return to the darkness whence it came."_

_The master raised his hand, calling his ebon Keyblade back and discarding mine, along with my armor._

"_Darkness," he breathed in a kind of understanding. "Is the hearts true essence."_

_He moved away, towards the battle below._

_And I feared for my friends lives._

_He would destroy them…_

_With my hands._

_And something inside what was left of my shattered soul consumed the darkness._

_And my rage was born._

_Chains of light sealed the master in my body where we stood. And he turned…_

_To see my Keyblade, in the hands of my armor, given life._

_He was shocked. But unafraid._

"_So," he sneered. "Even as a Lingering Sentiment, you would dare defy me?"_

_And so I was. And so I would._

_He had taken everything I was and made it his own._

_I would take all I had let, my rage, and make it my power._

_And perhaps this power was far more terrible then darkness itself._

_For this strength allowed me to strike myself down and banish the master away._

_I was left in this graveyard of fallen masters._

_I made a vow that day._

_I would end what I had unwillingly wrought._

_And so I slept._

_For how long? Days? Weeks? Months?_

_Years?_

_I awoke._

_And was greeted by a strange sight._

_It was a boy._

_He wore black and was accompanied by the strangest of companions._

_And in his hand was the Keyblade._

_Who was this boy? Was he related to my friends?_

_Or…the old master, in a new body?_

_My rage awoke once more._

_I threw all the power that awoke with it at this boy, who mocked me simply by wielding that cursed weapon._

_And I was defeated._

_He was not the master, but something else entirely._

_Something familiar._

_I slept once again._

_But not as long as before._

_I woke once more, the scent of darkness around my soul, contained in this rusting shell._

_And my rage was all consuming._

_Burning hotter and hotter._

_It would only fade…_

_Once I reaped my vengeance._

_The darkness led me to a familiar world._

_An island paradise, surrounded by water._

_And the old master had taken another host._

_A boy with silver hair, who wielded the Keyblade._

_My memories stirred._

_But were drowned by my rage and vengeance._

_In this all consuming rage, I tried to kill the boy._

_And once more met defeat._

_My shell, my armor, was breaking apart around me. I did not have much time._

_The boy was possessed by darkness as I had been._

_I did everything in my power to free him._

_And in doing so, was dragged deep into his heart._

_Where the old master waited._

_My rage and vengeance was focused, aiming to strike this monster down once and for all._

_But it was not to be by my hand._

_The boy with silver hair succeeded where I failed._

_He destroyed the old master's heart._

_And released me from my torment._

_My shell of crumbling armor was broken and rusted._

_In finally destroying the old master and the darkness he cast, what held me in this realm was shattered beyond repair._

_I was going to die at last._

_The boy…_

_I knew him. I remembered him_

_All became clear in death._

_And the future of the Keyblades legends looked bright, in those boys hands._

_Darkness claimed me one last time as my shell, my Lingering Sentiment, was no more._

* * *

Cobalt blue eyes opened slowly, wearily.

And were met by watery sapphire orbs.

He stared up at her, not blinking.

_I died,_ Terra thought as he stared up Aqua, who smiled down on him.

_So why am I here? Why am I still alive?_


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Second Chance.

The sound of waves rolling on the beach…

There's no sound quite like it.

It's gentle.

When the tides are slow and rhythmic, all is well.

But when they are fierce…

Turmoil approaches.

* * *

Cobalt blue eyes opened slowly, ripped from lingering dreams of memories past once more at the feel of soft fingers stroking his face.

They were met by sparkling sapphire gems, a stark contrast to his darker orbs.

Terra stared up at the blue haired woman who currently held him, his head pillowed on her lap while the rest of him lay on something that felt like sand…but didn't at the same time. His clothes were soaked as was his hair and skin. Had he been in the water?

Had she gotten him out?

He stared at her, seeing her eyes were still watery but she wasn't crying anymore. Her cheeks were dry, and free of tears.

He wanted to say so many things.

But all he did say would be enough, "Aqua," he breathed once again.

She smiled, still moving his wet hair from his face. He stared up at her, unable to move, to really believe what his eyes were seeing. He reached up, his arms not as heavy as before and touched her cheek. Soft. Warm.

Real.

"So…it's not a dream…" He murmured, mostly to himself. Maybe though, he really was dead. And this was heaven.

She shook her head, smiling in amusement. Aqua looked back down on him, still stroking his hair as she replied, "If it is, we're both having it." Her voice…

How he missed really hearing it, and not a memories echo.

Terra smiled slightly. He shifted, reluctantly trying to rise away from her lap, elbows pushing against the sand as he hoisted himself up. And winced, gasping in pain, hand clutching at his chest in a split second and regretting that instinctive reaction as more pain shot through his chest, fire in his veins. Aqua's eyes widened and her hand moved over his, eyes wide with concern.

Aqua, "What is it? Terra, tell me what's wrong." Her voice was urgent. Frightened.

Terra took in several labored breaths. His chest was a blaze of pain, his ribs grinding against each other painfully. After a few moments, he was able to fight the pain down as he forced himself to his knees, Aqua's eyes widening in concern. She grabbed his arm, trying to support him. He stood up, almost stumbling, fighting back a rising torrent of agony.

He knew he had endured worse. And that helped him ignore the agony of grinding ribs.

Terra looked at Aqua, forcing a smile that was more of a grimace then anything else. "I'm fine," He assured her. He could see she wasn't convinced. Terra found himself unconvinced as well.

_You just died and returned from the dead and you think you're fine?_ A little voice asked in his head. He willed it to be silent.

He was here. He was with Aqua again. He wasn't going to question why.

Not yet.

Aqua still held his arm, allowing him to lean towards her slightly for support. She led him away from the dark waters rolling on this shore of black sand. He paused. Terra looked at the sands and waters of this place. He stared across the endless black waters. He looked at the sky, darker then night itself. He looked back towards the shore. Far beyond the waters surface, a single star hovered, like a setting sun, yet its light was no brighter then a moon.

Terra stared at this shade of a shore.

Whenever he had thought of beaches, he had thought of sun, surf and golden sand.

This place mocked any idea of a real beach.

Terra stared, eyes narrowed. Terra, "What…what is this place?"

He looked towards Aqua, and she didn't reply for a moment. As she opened her mouth to say something though-

"I've come to call this particular spot, the Dark Margin."

Someone else replied.

Both Terra and Aqua whirled around towards the sound of the voice, Terra fighting back a stab of pain in his chest from the sudden movement.

Sitting casually on a large rock covered with strange glowing blue veins, was a man in a black cloak, the hood of his cloak pulled over his face added with what little light there was completely hid his face from either of them. But both Aqua and Terra knew under that hood, this man had his eyes on both of them.

Terra stepped in front of Aqua, pushing her back slightly behind himself in case this person was less then friendly.

His first question was obvious.

Terra, "Who are you?"

The cloaked man stared at Terra for a small moment before moving his gaze towards the black shore and the single star hovering over the waters.

Then, he sighed. "Forgive me," his voice, muffled by his hood but still carried a slight refined accent. "I…cannot recall my name."

Both Terra and Aqua blinked in stunned silence.

The hooded man lowered his head, embarrassed.

"I'm not sure…but I think it has something to do with my time in this realm. Or maybe…" He looked up, moving quickly, almost like he realized something. "It has something to do with _how_ I was trapped here in this realm…Curious."

Terra stared at this strange person with suspicious eyes. But, as reluctant as he was to admit it, he felt no malicious intent from this person.

The hooded man looked towards Terra and Aqua again, then held his hand out. "Please. I mean neither of you any harm. I doubt I could hurt either of you."

He paused, looking Terra over, paying particular attention to his pale face covered in water and a faint sheen of sweat. "Well, hurt you anymore then you already are," corrected the hooded man to himself.

Terra suddenly found himself swaying a little, the pain in his chest suddenly spreading over his whole body. He stumbled, coughing, hand reflexively moving over his mouth. Aqua looked at him, eyes concerned. Aqua, "Terra?"

He tried to respond, assure her he was alright, but he only coughed again. He stumbled and blinked, looking at his hand. For the first time he noticed he was wearing a solid black glove. And there was blood on it.

His blood.

He could feel it dribbling down the corner of his mouth as well, no doubt after his coughs. He wiped it away quickly. "I'm fine," He assured her once again.

The hooded man looked his way again. "You're a bad liar, young man."

Terra met his hidden gaze as best as he good and ignored the statement, instead asking again, "What is this place? I've never heard of a world called the Dark Margin, or even seen a world like this one before."

The hooded man's head moved a little and he murmured, "World…?" His head moved again and he chuckled loudly. "Ah! I see, you think you're still in the Realm of Light. I was confused, considering your garb I thought you moved through this realm as well as that one."

Terra blinked, even more confused. "Garb…?" He repeated. He looked at his hands again, at the black gloves on both of them. And then he noticed the sleeves covering his arms, black as well. Terra blinked, suddenly looking over himself, eyes widening in shock. He was wearing the exact same cloak as the nameless man sitting on the rock; an exact twin save his hood was down.

Terra looked over himself, shocked. Aqua saw the growing anxiety in his face and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Aqua, "Terra, it's al-"

Terra, "What is this?" He snapped. "Why am I wearing this? What is this?"

The nameless man shrugged. "It is what it is. A cloak as black as darkness itself. It protects one from the darkness between worlds… Though in this place, its protection is…less then beneficial."

Terra looked over the cloak dismally. Terra, "Darkness…This place…You said it wasn't in the Realm of Light."

The nameless man nodded. "No, it is not. This place is the mirror of that realm. The twin. The opposite. The negative. The Realm of Darkness."

Terra blinked. "Realm of…Darkness?" He repeated.

How had he ended up here? No, how had Aqua, the person with the purest heart he had ever known, end up here?

The nameless man nodded. "This is the twin of the Realm of Light…But the ones who inhabit this realm…are the darkness in all hearts made flesh. They seek to devour the light in all hearts as well. And their hunger knows no limits."

The man looked around. "And seeing how we are the only hearts for what is no doubt miles, the Heartless will be drawn to us like moths to flames. And they will not stop until the fire is snuffed out."

Terra didn't respond, his head bowed slightly. Aqua looked at him, eyes narrowed in concern, her hand reaching towards him hesitantly. Aqua, "Terra-" She started but never got a chance to go on as Terra started to walk towards the nameless man.

The man's hidden eyes watched Terra approach and did not move off of him until Terra reached him-

And moved away from his slightly, towards another large rock jutting out of the beach. Terra sat down with a slight grunt, the pain in his chest briefly flaring up.

Terra's knee rose up and his right arm lay across it, hanging limply in the air.

Terra, "Then let these 'Heartless' come."

Aqua's eyes widened in horror.

The nameless man did not say anything.

Aqua moved closer, quickly saying, "Terra, you don't mean that. You can't mean that."

Terra didn't look up at her as he replied, "Yes I do. And we both know after everything I've done, ending up here is what I deserve." Terra's dark eyes surveyed the black sands of the Dark Margin.

"Maybe this is where I truly belong…" He murmured to himself.

Aqua's eyes shimmered, sadness and pain filling them alongside her tears. Terra quickly lowered his gaze, unable and unwillingly to look her in the eye. He was unworthy of even looking at her.

The nameless man looked at Terra. "Young man, do you really believe that?"

Terra nodded. Terra, "I really do."

The nameless man looked at him for a while, hidden eyes studying Terra's face, blank and unreadable. Then, the nameless man looked at Aqua.

"My dear," He rasped. "You know this boy, that much is obvious to me, and he tells me, that he deserves to be trapped in this realm and devoured by the Heartless. Now, I ask you…"

Terra froze when he heard the nameless old man ask, "Do you believe that? Does he deserve this fate?"

And Terra was even more shocked when Aqua replied without hesitance and such conviction, "No, he doesn't deserve this at all."

He looked u pat her, jaw dropped. Terra, "Aqua…" He stood up, stumbling a little. Terra went on, "You know what I've done…" He looked at his glove-covered hands, eyes dismal and dark. "You know whose blood covers these hands."

Aqua stared at him and boldly walked up to him, her hands taking his. He flinched, stunned by the touch. He looked down, right into her teary, but fiercely determined eyes. Aqua, "I don't care. I don't care about anything you've done Terra, any wrongs, sins or the blood you say is on your hands." She looked back at the shore, beyond the dark waters. And at the single star hovering over them.

Aqua looked back at him. Aqua, "A single spark of light…in this whole realm. Maybe, one day, that little star will be a glorious golden sun." Her right hand left his and touched his chest. Right over his heart.

It beat faster.

Aqua, "I know there's light in your heart Terra, even if you think there's only darkness and despair…And that's why you're here, in this place. With me. You deserve, we both do…a second chance."

Terra's eyes narrowed, almost closing.

Did he really?

The nameless man shifted, rising off his rock.

"Well said my dear."

Both Terra and Aqua looked towards him, Terra pulling slightly away from Aqua. His heart wasn't slowing down though, he noted.

The nameless man extended his arm out, waving it. Black sparks danced off his fingers and the man grunted, stumbling suddenly. Both Terra and Aqua moved towards him, in case he fell over-

And the shadows before them swirled and gathered together, rising up in front of all of them into an oval shaped swirling miasma. Terra and Aqua gasped and stepped back, Terra moving in front of Aqua again.

The nameless man turned towards them again, slightly hunched over, panting deeply, chest rising and falling in great heaves.

"Don't fear…This, is all I can do with what little power I have left." He righted himself, standing up straight. With effort.

He looked at both of them, hidden eyes set and fierce.

"I do not recall my own name…But I do recall what I have done. And I truly do belong here. Once, long ago, I had a second chance to escape a realm like this place. And I took it, but squandered it. I wasted my second chance. Please…" He turned away from them and began to walk away, pass the swirling miasma and deeper into the shadows beyond the shore.

"Don't waste yours."

Terra blinked and followed after him, arm thrusting out. Terra, "Wait! Don't go! Who-"

Terra blinked, coming to a stop. Aqua moved after him, her hands clutching his cloak.

The nameless man was gone.

"…are you." Whispered Terra.

Terra and Aqua stood alone, the portal of swirling shadows making no noise. Neither made a move towards it. Aqua approached it slowly, Terra stumbling a little as he held his hand towards her to stop her. But she reached out and touched the swirling miasma. The smoky miasma extended several tendrils out, several wrapping around her hand. Instantly, Aqua jerked her hand back with a gasp and shudder.

Terra, "Aqua?"

She looked at him, skin bristling. Aqua, "It's…cold."

Terra looked at her a moment before reaching out and touching the shadows with his glove covered hand. And felt nothing.

He pulled his hand away slowly, looking back at Aqua. Terra, "I don't feel anything."

Aqua looked at his cloak. Aqua, "He did say those cloths would protect you from the darkness."

Terra looked at his cloaks sleeve numbly.

_Where were these when I needed them?_

Aqua approached the portal once again but Terra stopped her. She looked at him, confused. Terra cleared his throat. Terra, "Um, try to stay close to me. So the, uh, cloak, might protect you too."

He was praying in this darkness she wouldn't see his face flushing a little.

To his relief, she smiled and nodded.

They both approached the swirling darkness, Terra's eyes set and mistrusting. He felt Aqua's hand slip into his and gently squeeze, reassuringly. He looked at her, seeing her smiling. Aqua, "Together."

For a moment, in his mind's eye he saw a flash of gold and two blades of black and blue colliding.

But it passed just as quickly as it came.

He smiled back, nodding. "Together," He reaffirmed.

The maiden and warrior looked at the portal and without fear, stepped into it.

The blue haired maiden shuddered as the smoky tendrils reached out, touching her, wrapping around with icy cold caresses. But then two strong arms wrapped around her waist and the shadows pulled away. Aqua looked up and saw Terra glaring at the darkness. She smiled and leaned a little closer to him.

The swirling Corridor of Darkness consumed both Terra and Aqua, engulfing them in darkness. Then, it shrunk down, melting into the black sand. And vanishing.

The Dark Margin was empty. But not for the first time. Nor the last.

The black waves continued to roll slowly.

* * *

For a brief eternity, Terra and Aqua found themselves floating in darkness.

And Terra wondered if it had been a trap.

No sooner had he thought that, he thought he heard a laugh, no, more of a mocking cackle. He looked around for a moment. Aqua looked up at him. "Terra?" She asked hesitantly.

Terra tried to pierce through the shadows, looking for whoever just laughed.

But he stopped. The laugh…The laugh had been in his head.

His eyes narrowed and he looked back at Aqua-

And saw his arm around her was covered in rusted, dented and on the brink of breaking red and gold armor. He gasped, flinching back. Aqua's eyes widened, suddenly nervous. Aqua, "Terra? Terra, what's wrong?"

He didn't have time to respond.

As the darkness around them suddenly gave way into light.

* * *

For a while, they were briefly blinded. Then, slowly, but surely, the light pulsing in front of their eyes gradually faded away. And Terra and Aqua could see their surroundings.

For a moment, they both wondered if they really had left the Realm of Darkness.

They were in a small alleyway, between some decrepit and crumbling buildings barely supporting themselves. Aqua looked up towards the sky. And nearly did a double take when she saw it was a strange violet tinged with yellow. Behind her, Terra was looking over his arm, seeing it was once again covered in the dark material of his cloak. And not broken armor.

He clenched his fist, lowering his hand slowly.

Terra looked towards Aqua as she asked, "Terra…where are we?"

He didn't reply instantly, instead stepping closer after her, out of the alleyway-

Something crunched under his boot.

He blinked, looking down and stepping back.

A scent wafted in the air.

Terra looked down at the crushed remnants of a once radiant flower.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Welcoming Committee.

There was once a world, bathed in such radiant light, that every world could see it in the night sky as a shining star brighter than any other.

It was a world that was hailed and envied for its beautiful light.

So it was not all that surprising when it was the first world to fall to the shadows made flesh.

The Heartless.

For every world would soon learn…

The brighter the light…

The longer the shadow cast.

And for the longest time, the black sky looked dimmer, stars in the scores flickering out, one by one.

But one day…

All the stars came back.

And the once brightest, flickered weakly.

But still there.

* * *

A small metal object spun around the tip of her finger.

The darkly clad young girl smiled, staring down at a group of twitching, black insect like creatures with antennas and small but sharp claws. They gazed back up at her with stupid hungry yellow eyes. The girl continued to spin the item around her finger before stopping it, revealing it to be a small but lethal looking four sided throwing star.

"You guys are harder to get rid of then cockroaches."

The living shadows only cocked their heads, small feet shuffling closer towards the girl. Then pouncing, claws pulled back and ready to rend her flesh to the bones. The girls smile became a cocky smirk and she easily jumped back, dodging the shadows while pulling her arm back. With a mighty spin and toss, the four sided throwing star spun towards the shadow. Just as it reached the first one, it was surrounded by a puff of smoke and nearly quadrupled in size. The now huge shuriken tore through the small bodies of each shadow easily, destroying all of them and only leaving puffs of black mist where they once were.

The girl caught her larger shuriken easily, giggling childishly. "You really should've just scurried away…" She giggled again.

She stopped when she heard loud footsteps behind her and whirled around. Her brown eyes widened slightly. "Uh-oh. Bigger bugs."

Indeed these shadows could be described as the larger cousins of the ones she just destroyed. Their limbs were longer, claws sharper and their height easily matched that of a full grown adult. But their twitching heads had no mouths and their dead yellow eyes were fixed on her, black skinned bodies shuffling closer, claws flexing in the exact same manner as the smaller ones had.

But the girl's smile quickly and she crouched then jumped, flipping in the air and landing on a nearby buildings roof. She smiled; eyes moving towards something pass the jerking shadows, which started to race after her.

"I leave this to you Squall!" She called.

The living shadows stopped, cocking their heads in confusion.

They didn't hear the crackle of energy, nor see the wave of rising red and gold magic streaking towards them until it struck, incinerating them into nothing but smoke, no trace of their existence left.

The girl smiled widely. From behind a corner, a dark leather clad man emerged. His handsome face bore a large scar, running down from his forehead across the bridge of his nose to just under his left eye. He turned his icy blue eyes up at the girl.

"How many times do I have to tell you Yuffie? It's Leon."

* * *

A few moments later, Yuffie and Leon were walking down the town square steps into the village alleyway below. The younger girl let out a disgusted moan. Yuffie, "Ugh, all these Heartless lately! And of course Claymore's on the fritz!"

Leon didn't reply immediately. In truth he was in thought over the Claymore situation as well. The mine like defense system had been their biggest advantage over the Heartless, since their numbers far outweighed the feeble half dozen bunch that deigned themselves the towns Restoration Committee. But as of late, the town was suffering from power shorts and disruptions. Much of the electricity needed to keep Claymore running inside the village was diverted and as such, Claymore was inactive inside the city.

And the Heartless were starting to notice.

Yuffie stretched her arms, sighing as several joints popped. Her hands fell back to her sides, swinging a little. She groaned loudly. Yuffie, "All these double watches are killing me. The most I've slept all week is two hours."

Leon snapped out of his daze, looking at Yuffie. Leon, "Grin and bear with it. It's only temporary until Claymore is up and running again."

Yuffie gave him a pained smile. Yuffie, "Smiling is not the problem it's all the Heartless. Ugh, I thought we were finally done with them."

Leon slowed a little, walking behind Yuffie now. _I don't think we'll ever be rid of them._ He looked at his gunblade, the stainless steel weapon holstered by his hip. Leon's ice blue eyes softened, sad, yet hopeful.

_But, maybe one day, we won't need weapons anymore. _

"Yo! Slowpoke! If you don't get over here, your ice cream is mine!"

Leon snapped out of his daze once again and saw Yuffie had already reached the old wooden cottage with the skinny smokestack jutting out of the roof. With a small smirk, he followed after her.

Behind him, a nearby power cable climbed up the wall, intertwining with several more cables and into a large mechanical crane on top of the wall around the village. The cable suddenly exploded in a shower of blue sparks. If anyone was close by, they would have averted their eyes because of how bright it was.

But if one looked past the bright blue sparks, one would have seen something yellow emerge from the sparks themselves, cackling loudly as it shot into the air and towards the crane.

* * *

The door inside the cottage pushed open, Yuffie and Leon stepping inside-

And duck under a flying collection of books as he stepped in. Leon stepped inside, Yuffie ducking away from a floating chair. Yuffie exclaimed, "Whoa! Doing some redecorating Merlin?" before looking pass Leon and towards the center of the cottage. Standing atop a raised podium was a tall, lanky old man with a beard going down to the tips of his toes and wearing a blue pointy hat with matching robes and glasses. The great wizard Merlin was waving his wand and with each flick of it, more books and furniture floated by, in a circle around the old mage. He didn't respond to Yuffie, too lost in his concentration of calling his possessions too him.

If one was to look closely, they would notice that each object encircling the wizard was shrinking, ever so slightly. On the far side of the cottage, a pretty young woman with long brown hair tied into a ponytail with a pink ribbon that ran down to the small of her back. She wore a light blue dress, the left shoulder strap adorned with flowers. When she heard the door close she looked up and smiled upon seeing Leon and Yuffie.

"You're back! How'd it go?" Yuffie sauntered over with an exaggerated air of pride and triumph around her, moving pass and ducking under the various floating items as she declared, "Piece of cake! Heartless are nothing compared to I, the Great and Fearless Ninja Yu- Eek!"

Said fearless ninja ducked as something furry and blue jumped down from he rafters, bouncing off of the moving objects before settling on a shrinking chair that was just large enough to allow a blue furred creature that slightly resembled a koala bear to sit comfortably, point a long black claw and cackle loudly at Yuffie's flinching. The creature's big black eyes scrunched up as its jaws opened widely revealing rows of sharp fangs as it said in a cackling, alien voice, "Neela alla queesta!"

Yuffie righted herself, face flushing when she saw not only the blue furred creature laughing at her but the woman in the blue dress covering her mouth to stifle her laughter. Yuffie rounded on the blue creature and growled, eyes narrowing. Yuffie, "Stitch if you don't stop doing that I'll kick your little hide back wherever you cam from!"

'Stitch' stopped laughing with a gasp and scuttled up the shrinking chair before jumping back up to the rafters. Stitch poked his head out from behind a wooden support beam, frantically saying in accented english, "Stitch be good! Stitch promise!"

The woman in blue dress giggled and looked up at the blue creature. "You're alright Stitch. Yuffie was just spooked is all." Yuffie growled and rounded on her snapping, "I was not!" She folded her arms across her chest, face scrunched up in a pout. Stitch cackled lowly and Yuffie shot him another glare before he scuttled off into the rafters.

Yuffie looked back at Aerith, the two girls moving away from the encircling furniture and books. Yuffie asked to Aerith, "Why did you bring him here anyway Aerith? It's only a matter of time before he breaks something important!"

Aerith frowned at Yuffie. Aerith, "That's not nice. Stitch really helped us out. He deserves to be an honorary member." Yuffie was about to open her mouth to retort when Stitch scuttled down the wall, his long claws digging into the wood of the walls. He got right in Yuffie's face and blew a raspberry, laughing and scuttling away as Yuffie fumed and cursed, waving her arms in the air as if to hit the blue furred creature.

Across the room a rough, annoyed and disgruntled voice called, "Y'all shut up over there! Hard to concentrate with that geezers magic interfering with my computer anyway!"

Merlin scoffed, flashing annoyed eyes at the older man sitting in front of a huge computer and keyboard. This man had short cut blonde hair, wore a white shirt and torn blue pants with a yellow belt wrapped around his waist. The man had a pair of goggles above his eyes and a toothpick, on the verge of snapping at the rate he was chewing on it, hanging between his lips.

Merlin, "Might I remind you my magic has helped fix your computer several times over Cid?"

Cid grabbed his toothpick and jabbed it at Merlin. Cid, "Might I remind _you_ that it's your magic that keeps causing my computer to shut down when I'm in the middle of working on something?"

Merlin sighed exhaustedly, never once breaking his concentration or wand waving, the items circling and shrinking smaller still.

Leon walked over to Cid, looking over the computer screen as streams of data and various images flashed about. He looked down at Cid, who continued to pound away at the keys in a series of loud clacks and clicks. Leon, "Have you been able to find out what's wrong with Claymore?"

Cid let out an annoyed exhale of air before turning to look up at Leon. Cid, "Nope. Well, not exactly." He flicked his used toothpick into a floating trashcan before reaching into his pocket and popping a fresh one in his mouth.

Cid, "Way I can figure it, something's draining Claymore all the juice we need to power it." Leon sighed, rubbing his old scar and closing his eyes, trying to fight back the approaching headache. They were no closer to figuring it all if that's all Cid had figured out by now.

Cid shrugged and turned back to his computer. Cid, "Sorry kid, I've got too much to do and not enough hands to get it all done at the same time. It's a high priority on my list but for right now I suggest hiring some extra hands."

_We're the only ones left who even know how to hold a sword the right way, much less defend an entire kingdom AND rebuild it._ Leon almost said that, but fought it back down. There was no use in antagonizing Cid now.

Back across the room, both Yuffie and Aerith were watching the various books, chairs and other items float by them, shrinking smaller and smaller as they did until they were so small once they reached Merlin, they floated into the two very large black bags by his legs, disappearing inside them. Yuffie, "You moving out Merlin?"

Before the great wizard could respond, Cid called over him, "Please say yes!"

Merlin shot him another glare before smiling kindly at Yuffie. Merlin, "Of course not my dear!"

Cid groaned loudly.

Merlin ignored him and went on. "I'm am merely storing my possessions before I make some renovations to our humble cottage. I fear it's become much to cluttered."

Cid snorted. "I'll agree with you on that."

The ex-pilot continued to type away while Leon headed for the door. Leon called, "Yuffie, break's over. Second shift just started."

Yuffie let out a whine, "But I haven't gotten my ice cream!"

Aerith suddenly tapped her chin in thought. Aerith, "Oh I'm sorry Yuffie, but I think Stitch got the last one."

Yuffie gasped as her eyes widened in horror. She looked back up at the rafters and to her growing terror and disgust, the blue furred koala creature was licking away at a blue bar pop of the world beloved sea-salt ice-cream. Yuffie gasped and gave a shrill scream as Stitch promptly devoured the entire ice-cream bar, stick included, whole.

Yuffie, "NOOOO! My ice cream!"

Stitch sighed in pleasure before burping a little. He then noticed Yuffie staring up at him with horrified eyes. Stitch, "Oh," He gave an apologetic wave. "My bad."

Yuffie let out a screech before tossing several shuriken at the blue creature. Stitch let out a screech before scuttling up the rafters and through the chimney stack.

Yuffie, "And don't you come back!"

Cid growled and swiveled around in his chair. Cid, "Would you shut up? It's ice-cream! You can just buy some later!" Yuffie whined loudly, "But I wanted some nowwww!"

Leon gave an annoyed growl while Aerith just covered her mouth to stifle her laughs once again. Leon walked over in two huge steps, practically strides, snatched Yuffie by the back of her collar, dragging her out as she went limp and continued to moan about her ice-cream.

The two were out the door the next second.

Cid gave a relieved sigh, swiveling around back to his computer. His brief good mood faded when he saw the screen breaking up into static and random streams of data. Cid, "Not again! Darn it old man, turn your wand off!"

Merlin sighed in equal aggravation and snapped, "I keep telling you! It's electrical interference!"

Aerith tuned out their arguing, hands folding behind her back as she looked up at the rafters, frowning when Stitch didn't poke his head around to look back at her.

"Oh, Yuffie…" she murmured in disappointment. She hated the way she treated Stitch. The poor creature was alone on this world and Aerith knew while he acted like a little hellion…

Deep down he just wanted someone to spend time with.

Aerith looked back towards the door, thinking about how tired both Leon and Yuffie looked.

She thought of two others, whose help would be much appreciated right now.

_But of course, they're both chasing after something they think is just out of reach…_

Aerith turned back to Merlin, in case the wizard needed her help and smiling pleasantly.

_Never realizing what they want is right here, waiting for them._

* * *

Curious, big black eyes watched the two head off in separate directions.

Stitch's presence went unnoticed as always, thanks to a combination of height and location of the cottage roof.

The blue furred creature sighed sadly.

He wanted to help them, like before, when all the weird black things had attacked.

But none of them wanted his help. Or wanted him around that much. Except the girl with pretty green eyes.

Stitch sighed again, his big ears laying flat against the top of his head.

He missed…his friends.

That brown haired boy had reminded him of them, especially because of that sword he used. It was exactly like theirs had been.

Stitch sighed again, and started to crawl back towards the chimney-

Then stopped.

His nose twitched, nostrils flaring several times.

He turned rapidly back towards the village alleyways.

Stitch, "F-F-F…"

His big eyes brightened, his mouth lighting up in a huge smile.

"Frens!"

With that, Stitch became a blue blur, hopping down into the alleyways below, old but familiar and longed for scents filling his nose.

Their scents were unique, Stitch remembered.

Like fresh soil and rain drops…

Stitch was scuttling across another rooftop when he stopped, nostrils flaring once more.

There was a third scent, this one even more familiar.

Stitch growled. "Cousin…"

* * *

They slowly stepped out into what little light there was.

Aqua stared up at the purple sky and the crumbling buildings, noting how that they appeared to built out of random bits of wood, stone and brick.

Behind her, Terra followed slowly, his face paler out of the shadows and the sweat on his skin was more noticeable. If Aqua had turned around, she would have seen him shaking slightly.

Aqua moved further out of the alley, moving towards a large set of steps leading up to something she couldn't see from here. Terra followed after her with an effort, looking around as well. Aqua touched a side of the wall, looking at the various pipes, rusted and new alike, asking, "I don't understand. Why would he send us here?"

Terra moved past her before responding, "A cruel joke?"

He reached out, touching a wall.

Something about this place…

He couldn't shake the feeling he had been here before. And recently.

Terra started to move forward but stumbled, a fit of coughing erupting from his mouth. He covered his hand over his mouth, trying to stifle them down but they became fiercer. Aqua gasped, quickly moving closer, clutching his shoulder and asking, "Terra what's wrong? Are you alright?'

The dark haired male was able to force himself to stop coughing, lowering his hand. Terra, "I'm fine."

Aqua frowned. Her hand moved away from his shoulder, touching the corner of his mouth. He flinched, confused by this gesture, until she moved her hand a little and he saw dark dots of his blood on the tip of her finger. Aqua gave Terra a reproving look.

Aqua, "You're not. You're coughing blood, which is pretty serious. Tell me what's wrong."

He closed his eyes with a sigh. He had never been able to hide anything from her. Terra raised his other hand over his chest, careful not to actually touch it. Terra, "It's-"

-_He couldn't hide the look of shock that formed on his face as the darkly clad boy grabbed his falling friends demonic weapon. The boy charged over, holding his first weapon straight out and his friends backwards, the blade nearly touching his elbow. Just like-_

_But he couldn't finish that thought because the boy reached him in the ticks between seconds, the blades tearing into his chest, forcing him back, hitting him so hard he felt a rib a snap-_

Terra flinched, body snapping up straight and going rigid. Aqua saw this and asked quickly, worriedly, "Terra? Terra what's wrong?"

He didn't know. Had that been a memory? But it couldn't have been; he had never seen those boys before.

Hadn't he?

He didn't look at Aqua as he replied, "Nothing. My chest just… just hurt for a second."

Aqua stared at him and for a split-second he thought she didn't believe him. Then, her hand hovered over his chest, so close he could feel the warmth from her palm. Terra blinked, confused and about to ask her what she was doing when a wave of healing green light and falling ethereal leaves covered him.

He winced as the pain in his chest lessened…

But didn't vanish.

Aqua's own face got paler and she lowered her hand, giving Terra a pained apologetic look. Aqua, "I'm sorry…I just don't have enough magic to heal the entire wound."

Terra smiled reassuringly at her and replied, "Don't worry, I feel much better."

That cheered Aqua up a little, her sad expression melting away to a small smile.

The two returned to the matter at hand, looking around the location they found themselves in. Aqua saw the alleyways exited into a small village pathway. Terra was looking at the huge set of steps, his eyes thoughtful.

Aqua turned to look back at him. Aqua, "Stay here."

Terra blinked, doing a double take at Aqua's bluntness and her order. Terra, "Say what? No way! We have no idea what's on this world and I'm not letting you walk around alone!"

Aqua cocked a brow, her hand moving to her hip as she gave Terra an 'excuse me?' look.

Aqua, "Ok, first of all, you're injured, so if there is trouble on this world you'd be more of a hindrance then a help. Second, I can take care of myself thank you very much."

Terra flinched back. He scowled at her and she met his angry look evenly. After a silent battle of wills, the outcome was clear.

Terra sighed and gave an indifferent wave of his hand. Terra, "Fine. I'll wait here."

Aqua smiled, pleased. Terra growled under his breath and looked away. Aqua's smile fell. She reached out, touching Terra's arm. He flinched a little, but didn't look back at her.

Aqua, "Terra… please don't take what I said the wrong way. All I meant was is that you're not back to full strength yet. I don't want your injury to get any worse then it already is if this place does have some kind of enemy."

Terra felt his anger melt away. He let out a sigh, his shoulders slumping a little. He looked back at her, smiling a little. Terra, "I understand."

Aqua smiled back. She turned and started to walk away but stopped when she was a few feet away. She looked back at Terra, smiling confidently. Aqua, "I'll be back soon."

Then she turned and sprinted off, moving deeper into the village alleyways.

Terra watched her go, her blue hair almost blending perfectly against the gray stone of some of the walls.

Then, she was gone, disappearing around a corner.

Terra stared at the spot she had vanished around for a few moments. Then, he looked over his right arm again.

Had it been an illusion? What he saw in the darkness, had it been his armor?

Just to reaffirm he was still flesh, Terra pulled the sleeve of his cloak up a little. He let out a relieved sigh when he saw his skin.

He let the sleeve fall back down and looked around this place again. Why couldn't he shake this feeling he had been here before?

Before Terra could continue with that thought, he heard a crackling sound, like electricity discharging. He blinked, looking around for a second. He heard it again, this time accompanied by another sound he couldn't quite identify.

But it was familiar.

Terra looked towards the stairs leading up and realized the sound was coming from up there. He looked back over to the corner Aqua had vanished around. Then he looked back toward the stairs. Terra allowed himself a rare devious smile.

_Well, it is right here. May as well check it,_ he thought slyly.

With that thought in mind, Terra moved towards the steps and the sound grew louder, confirming his suspicion. He raced up the steps, taking two at a time, never noticing bits of broken red and gold metal littering some of the steps.

When he reached the top of the stairs, Terra was amazed to discover he was atop some sort of guard post for a huge wall that no doubt circled this entire village. Terra looked out past the barren lands outside the village.

To his confusion and disturbance, the ground outside was a strange bluish purple. Terra looked away when he heard the strange crackling sound suddenly grow louder, as did the sound mixed in with it. He finally recognized the sound as he looked towards the end of the wall.

It was high-pitched mad cackling.

Terra looked towards the end of the wall and nearly did a double take at the sight.

On the far ends attached to the bottom of the wall was a huge mechanical crane. As Terra stared at it, he realized the inhabitants of this village were repairing. But that wasn't what surprised Terra so much.

It was what was hovering over the crane, discharging dozens of streams of yellow electricity and cackling away as it did. It was a small yellow skinned creature with big blue pupil-less eyes and long feeler like antenna's rising out above its eyes.

The creature cackled away, clearing enjoying itself as more electricity was being drained out of the crane.

Terra, "What the- Why's it doing that?"

He almost started to approach the creature but stopped.

As he continued to stare at it, it began to look more familiar. A memory echoed inside his mind.

Terra gasped, eyes widening.

Terra, "Experiment 221!"

At the sound of its name, the creature let out a '"Huh?" and turned, still floating in midair and absorbing the electricity from the crane.

Upon seeing Terra, it's big eyes widened even more and it let out a terrified screech.

Terra smirked. "Guess you remember me, huh?"

221 screeched again, the streams connecting it to the crane discharging even more before vanishing. With one last screech like cackle it shot over towards Terra, its legs disappearing into a stream of lightning. Terra braced himself as it charged over and-

Flew over him.

He blinked, gasping in surprise and quickly turning around. 221 flew into a stairway and vanished in a burst of yellow sparks.

Terra gasped, eyes widening and he started to chase after 221 while calling, "Hey! Stop! What are you doing here?"

He was almost half way towards the stairway when something spun past his shoulder and struck the wall ahead of him, impaling itself there. Terra came to a dead stop when he saw it was a small four sided shuriken.

Gasping under his breath, he didn't turn instantly, even when he heard a high pitched and loud voice boast behind him, "Well what do we have here?"

Terra finally turned and saw-

A memory flickered and for a moment, he couldn't make out who he was looking at. No, he thought he was seeing _two_ of them.

But then the double vision faded and he was just staring at one. It was a young girl, perhaps Aqua's age or more likely a little younger dressed in entirely in black, her shirt, sleeveless vest and shorts and knee high boots were all black. She had a headband on and deep brown eyes and a smile on her face.

At first to Terra, it looked very friendly and open. But he wasn't fooled for an instant.

Terra, "Who are you?"

The girl chuckled, spinning another shuriken between her fingers. "Shouldn't I ask that question? After all, you're the stranger here!"

Terra blinked at that. "Uh, I, umm…"

The girl chuckled. "Not very articulate are ya?"

Her smile became fierce and dangerous. "You can cut the act already you Organization flunkie."

Terra flinched at her sudden change in attitude.

Terra, "Organization? What's that?'

The girl frowned. "You think I'm stupid or something? You're wearing one of their cloaks and expecting nobody to notice?"

Terra looked over the cloak again. Suddenly it didn't seem as appealing as before.

Terra looked back at the girl and said, "Look, there's some kind of misunderstanding here. I'm not-"

She moved extremely fast, throwing her shuriken at him in a split-second. Terra instinctively dodged to his right, successfully evading the attack. If he hadn't moved, his throat would have been cut open.

She smirked, another shuriken appearing between her fingers again. "I told you to cut the act but if want to die acting clueless, hey fine with me!"

She pointed her shuriken filled hand at Terra. "I, the great ninja Yuffie of the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee, fill not the Organization taint my beloved home any more!"

Terra blinked at the mention of Radiant Garden. Terra, "What'd you say- Ah!"

He stumbled back, clutching his head as if he had a headache but the pain behind his eyes was far worse then any headache. His eyes were shut from the sudden pain-

_-"You're messing up our town and scaring people! Now, I have no idea who you are or where you come from, but around here that's just rude!" He found himself wondering if she was ever going to shut up._

_The girl leapt down to the square's level and sized him up, unable to hide the slight look of apprehension in her eye upon seeing his Keyblade. "You know, I know someone who owns one of those. S'matter of fact I know two…"_

_She assumed a fighting stance, three shuriken held between her fingers. "And they were definitely nicer than you! I, the great ninja Yuffie, will not let you wreck my home anymore!"-_

Terra gasped, reeling back as if he had just been underwater. He panted deeply, face pale and sweaty once again.

_What…was that? Was that me and her? But how? I don't remember any of that!_

Before he had time to question that sudden vision, multiple shuriken were thrown at him, spinning in the air with deadly force.

Terra gasped and swiftly slid back and then left, dodging the lethal projectiles. He looked back, glaring at Yuffie, the young ninja spinning another shuriken between her fingers. Yuffie smirked back at him. Yuffie, "If you think acting strange is going to throw me off, think again."

Terra growled, clenching his fist before sweeping his right arm out and opening his hand. Terra, "You asked for it!"

Light flashed in his palm, multiple circles of it flashing around his hand and the air in front of it, extending into the shape of a long weapon-

Before fizzling out into sparks.

Terra blinked, looking at his empty hand in shock. Terra, "What? What's going on?"

Yuffie only smirked, twirling another shuriken that quadrupled in size. Terra looked from his empty hand to Yuffie's larger shuriken.

Yuffie, "Don't really know or can say I care-"

She suddenly pulled back, her shuriken spinning rapidly in her hand before she threw it with all her might.

"But it works for me!"

Terra gasped as the black throwing star shot towards him. He quickly slid back and then to the right, the weapon spinning past him and turning around like a boomerang, returning to Yuffie.

Terra gritted his teeth, meeting Yuffie's smirk with a glare.

_Some welcoming committee,_ he thought dryly before looking down at his hand.

He was weaponless, but far from defenseless.

Terra looked back up at Yuffie as she prepared more shuriken.

* * *

She had only wandered around a few corners before coming across a staircase that led farther up into the village. Aqua looked back towards the village alleyways. She frowned when she couldn't see Terra.

She was reluctant to leave him alone in his injured state but reminded herself even wounded Terra was still a formidable fighter. But they had no idea what kind of, if any, enemy was here…

_The faster you look around, the faster you can get back to him. So stop thinking and start acting, _she bereted herself.

With a small nod to herself, Aqua quickly moved up the steps, taking them two at a time.

Within moments, she found herself at the steps of a small square or plaza filled with various shops and a few crowds of shop goers. Aqua blinked before sighing and smiling a little. She was relieved to see they were on a normal world after all.

Aqua took a few steps closer into the square and found from where she stood she could see most of the shops and some of the items on display that were for sale.

From what she could see, it was pretty standard and common items that almost every world sold. In the far upper left hand corner, one shop advertised all kinds of accessories from rings to armlets. Next to it in the upper middle of the square was a…weapons shop?

Indeed, from where she stood Aqua could make a vendor advertising all sorts of weapons, mostly shields, though she wondered if some of them could be called shields with all the jagged edges they had and several staffs, hammers and maces. Aqua gaped at the shop for a moment.

Why in the world would any of these people need weapons? They looked so nice.

She started to turn to leave and two men passed by her, not really seeing her as they were in a conversation. The first man, who had brown hair, said, "Can you believe it? Cid still hasn't fixed Claymore!"

The second man, who was shorter and had black hair, replied in shock, "You're kidding! That's just great. How long are we all gonna have to keep taking precautions?"

Aqua frowned, furrowing her brow. Very carefully and slowly, she followed after them, staying a little ways behind as to not be noticed.

The brown haired man shook his head and replied, "Nobody knows. The Committee's pulling a triple shift on guard duty."

The two men had reached the steps and paused for a moment. Aqua hung back by a large ice cooler filled with large square shaped chunks of ice inside. Aqua frowned at this. Who would leave all this ice out in the open? It wasn't warm or anything but if they left it open it would eventually melt.

The men spoke up again. "It's been so long since we've had to worry about the Heartless. Man, just when I thought things were getting back to normal."

That made Aqua tense up, a gasp escaping her lips.

_The Heartless? Wait, wasn't that what that old man called those creatures from the dark realm? Those horrible beasts are here?_

"Terra!" She whispered to herself.

Aqua quickly turned and ran for the steps-

Only to feel something clamp down on her upper arm.

Aqua came to a jerking halt and quickly looked at her arm, seeing it was a black gloved hand and same colored sleeved arm holding her in place. This person's grip was like iron.

Aqua growled lowly under her breath and quickly looked up while saying, "What do you think you're-"

Her words died on her lips when she saw who was holding her in place.

To any girl or woman, this man was handsome and had spiky blonde hair, but the serious and melancholy expression on his face would make anyone nervous about approaching him. He wore a black sweater and oddly only one shoulder guard on his left shoulder, the same arm was covered by the sleeve while his right wasn't. He had a silver wolf emblem embedded on the belt strap on his chest and some kind of half kilt covering his left leg. Aqua saw he was wearing black pants with several pouches and heavy black boots.

But it was his eyes that made Aqua go silent and gape up at him.

They were the strangest, most intense shade of blue she had ever seen.

Unnatural.

He met her gaze blankly, his expression unreadable.

Aqua tried to tug her arm free but his grip had not relaxed.

He looked over her for a second and Aqua growled again, tugging her arm harder, though she only made it hurt a bit. Aqua, "Let me go." She tried to sound demanding but it didn't exactly work under his intense and strange gaze.

He looked back at her face and Aqua had to force herself to maintain eye contact.

Then, he finally spoke.

"I've never seen you before."

He finally let her go and Aqua stumbled back, her right hand clutching the spot on her arm where he had grabbed her.

Aqua didn't respond for several seconds, unsure of what to say. Then she simply replied, "I'm new in town." Then, without waiting for a reply, she brushed past him and quickly went down the stairs.

The dark clothed man watched her go and disappear around the corner of the steps into the village houses alleyways below. Then, he began his descent down the stairs as well, slowly but surely.

* * *

Terra slid himself rapidly across the upper wall, dodging each and every one of Yuffie's shuriken by mere inches, sometimes centimeters.

The 'great' ninja was glaring and growling in frustration at her inability to hit him. More shuriken appeared between each finger in her clenched fist and she threw them all, the spinning throwing stars flying in several directions. Terra gasped and quickly ducked and slid under the lethal rain of sharp metal, the shuriken burying themselves all over the ground of the wall. He looked and saw the bottom of his cloak had been torn and that several of the shuriken were to close for his comfort.

_I need a weapon,_ Terra told himself.

While Yuffie was getting more shuriken from a pouch on her belt, Terra was looking all around the area or something to defend himself with. He spotted a long metal pole, a piece of rebar. Just as Yuffie held up more shuriken and threw them, Terra's foot shot out, kicking the rebar up while his hand shot out to grab it while in the same motion twirl it around himself, deflecting all of Yuffie's projectiles.

The girl ninja gave a gasp, her eyes widening. Terra spun the pole again, testing its weight and was pleased to discover it was slightly heavy, not like his old weapon but within the range he was use to.

He lowered it slightly but kept it raised by his leg, ready at a moment's notice.

Yuffie smirked. Yuffie, "Ooh, you got a piece of rebar, I'm so scared!"

Terra glared at her. She was really getting on his nerves. Terra, "Look, let's just stop this now before one of us gets seriously hurt-"

Yuffie suddenly interrupted, "You're right! Let's end this right-"

The girl vanished in a loud bang and burst of smoke. Terra blinked. "Wha-" was all he had time to utter in confusion right before there was another bang and burst of smoke-

Behind him. "NOW!" Yuffie's voice cried.

Terra quickly slid forward while whirling around to bring the piece of rebar up in a spin, deflecting Yuffie's rain of shuriken as the girl had jumped into the air. Yuffie growled loudly and jumped back, landing on a raised ledge to throw more shuriken at Terra, but as before he simply twirled the metal pole and deflected them. Yuffie starting running down across the ledge, throwing more small throwing stars but as before Terra deflected them easily.

Terra met Yuffie's glare with a smirk of his own.

But his smile fell when Yuffie suddenly chuckled and held up two shuriken in each hand.

Yuffie, "Try these!"

Suddenly, glowing blue and indigo magic covered both throwing stars and they quadrupled in size once again.

_Uh-oh._

With a loud cry, Yuffie threw both of them at him, the shuriken spinning rapidly towards him. Terra swung the metal pole out to try and deflect both of them but only succeeded in knocking one back-

While the other spun and shifted under its twin and his makeshift weapon, tearing into his chest. Terra cried in pain, stumbling back as both shuriken rebounded back to Yuffie, who caught them effortlessly while Terra almost dropped his pole and clutched his bleeding chest. The pain that Aqua had dulled was flaring back up with new intensity. He hunched over slightly, left arm clutching at the bloody wound while his right managed to raise the pole back up in a weak form of defense.

Down below, a blue haired maiden heard her friend's cry of pain and her head snapped up towards the stairs and the wall ledge above.

"Terra!" Aqua gasped.

Back up on the wall, Terra was walking backwards away from Yuffie while he tried to will the pain away. The ninja girl advanced, smirking at her apparent 'victory'.

Yuffie, "Wow, one hit and you're almost down? You're not very strong are you?"

Terra glared at her, teeth gritting. Yuffie smirked again and two shuriken appeared in her hands once again, growing and glowing once again. Terra stumbled back farther as Yuffie pulled her arms back once again. Terra held the pole out as the two shuriken flew at him once again. Terra braced himself as the shurikens glowed brighter and-

Bounced off a bright flash of clear light shaped like a sphere surrounded him, several small octagon pieces of magic jutting out to deflect the shuriken and sent them flying back.

And the blue haired maiden in front of him, her Reflect Barrier deflecting Yuffie's shuriken right back at her.

The young girl's eyes widened and she gasped, quickly vanishing in another burst of smoke.

Terra looked at Aqua as she lowered her barrier and asked, "Aqua?"

She looked back at him, eyes concerned. Aqua, "Terra are you okay?"

He nodded, panting slightly, brow sweaty. He lowered the pole and hunched slightly, eyes closing as he clutched his chest with his left hand. Aqua started to reach over to touch him but Yuffie reappeared in another puff of smoke, glaring at Terra and Aqua.

Yuffie, "Should've known you'd have an accomplice."

Terra opened his eyes to glare back at Yuffie. Terra, "If you would just listen for a moment we wouldn't be fighting at all."

Aqua set her gaze on Yuffie, eyes narrowing in confusion and growing anger. Aqua, "You attacked my friend?"

Yuffie snorted. Yuffie, "You've got bad tastes in friends lady." She drew another shuriken and pointed it at Terra. "It's freaks like him that put my home in the condition it's in!"

Aqua flinched back gasping, "What?"

Yuffie ignored her confused look and went on. "And the fact you'd willingly help someone like him makes you my enemy as well!"

Aqua met Yuffie's angry calmly and simply replied, "I'm not your enemy and neither is Terra. Whatever you think is going on is wrong."

Yuffie scoffed. "Yeah whatever."

But her brown eyes narrowed in concern and almost fear.

_I'm talking big but can I back it up? She's some kind of hardcore magic user and he's a fighter. Even injured, I doubt I can handle both. Oh man, I could really use some help…_

And like some kind of answer, a loud cry resounded through the area and a black and golden blur descended down from the sky.

Like a meteor.

Terra saw it first and gasped, quickly shoving Aqua away from himself as the black and gold blur slammed into the ground in front of him, releasing a massive shockwave that sent Terra sliding back, arms shielding his face and chest. When the shockwave passed he quickly lowered his arms and looked past the crater made by the attack. To his relief, Aqua was stumbling back up on her fight, apparently unharmed. But his relief turned back into anxiety as he heard Yuffie cheer loudly, "Whoo-hoo! Nice entrance Cloud!"

Aqua gasped and whirled around, looking in the crater as well. The dust was settling…

Revealing it to be the darkly clad, spiky haired man with the unnatural bright blue eyes. And held in both hands was the biggest sword Aqua had ever seen. Oddly enough, it was wrapped in several torn and frayed bandages but this only added to its intimidating appearance.

Terra looked at the newcomer, an obvious fighter and a very strong one at that if he could hold that sword up like he could.

Terra panted as he raised himself up and extended the pole out, but in comparison to this man's sword, it was a pathetic makeshift weapon.

The blonde haired man's blue eyes focused dead on Terra. Terra met his gaze evenly despite his pain and-

_-"What took you so long?" A disgruntled voice asked. The darkly clad blonde fighter balanced his huge weapon across his shoulder._

"_I was making a delivery," he responded flatly as he stared at-_

Terra stumbled back, clutching his forehead at the headache that suddenly replaced the vision. The blonde fighter, Cloud, made no move as Terra righted himself and met his gaze once more, both sets of their blue eyes meeting. Cloud slightly glanced back at Yuffie and Aqua before settling his gaze back on Terra.

Cloud, "I've always wanted to fight one of you Organization Nobodies."

Terra blinked, managing to force his gaze back on Cloud despite the throbbing pain behind his eyes. "Nobodies?" He muttered in confusion. Cloud gripped his sword and went on. Cloud, "But you don't look so tough, especially if Yuffie can handle you all by herself."

Terra growled while Yuffie cried in indignation.

Yuffie, "Hey I'm tough enough to take on every Nobody there ever was!"

Cloud scoffed and smirked. Terra raised his poor weapon and spared a glance at Aqua. She was rapidly looking between Cloud and himself, sapphire eyes wide and worried. Terra returned his gaze to Cloud.

Terra, "I don't you know who either of you are or what you think is going on, but I am not your enemy or part of some organization."

Terra kept his piece of rebar raised. Terra, "But if it's a fight you want I'll give you one."

Aqua gasped and stepped forward. Aqua, "Terra don't-"

A puff of smoke appeared between the blue haired maiden and the darkly clad warriors. Yuffie smirked at Aqua as the smoke settled. Aqua gasped and jumped back, her hands raising in front of herself as she glared at the ninja girl.

Yuffie, "Uh-uh-uh! While the boys play, let's chat, girl to girl. Who are you and why are you helping that Organization flunkie?"

Aqua anxiously looked from Yuffie to Cloud and Terra. Both fighters were beginning to circle each other slowly, Cloud moving right, Terra moving left, weapons still held raised and ready.

The water maiden looked back at Yuffie, eyes angry and impatient. Aqua, "Get out of my way right now! I don't want to hurt you."

Yuffie's smirk grew and she raised her right hand, which held a single shuriken. Yuffie spread her fingers and the one shuriken became three. Yuffie, "Funny-"

She thrust her arm out, the throwing stars flying and spinning towards Aqua. "BECAUSE I WANNA HURT YOU!"

Aqua growled and swept her arm out, causing her Reflect Barrier to appear, deflecting each projectile easily. Yuffie gasped and let out a yelp as she was quickly forced to dodge her own weapons flying back at her.

Aqua saw and took her chance, quickly sprinting pass Yuffie and towards Cloud and Terra. The ninja girl growled and vanished in a puff of smoke, reappearing in front of Aqua with a large shuriken in hand. Yuffie screamed, "Stop right there!"

Terra anxiously watched as Aqua refused to heed Yuffie, instead holding her right hand out in front of herself as she raced towards them. Yuffie started to pull back her weapon when light flashed in Aqua's hand, ethereal pink petals swirling in her palm. Yuffie's eyes narrowed. "What the-" Was all she had time to mutter when there was a bright flash of light and-

The ninja girl's eyes widened in shock and she exclaimed, "_No way!_"

Very carefully, Cloud's eyes moved to their corners, glancing at Yuffie. Terra saw this and moved towards the sword bearing warrior quickly, bringing his pole back as he did.

Yuffie meanwhile could only watch in shock as Aqua sprinted closer still, bearing a weapon of her own now.

It was long, simple looking and colored black and gray. Its hilt guard was a bumpy gray and the shaft of the blade black. The blade tips jutted out of its front side and were three small blades, the middle and the shortest. Oddly enough, it resembled a capital 'E'.

And dangling from the bottom of its hilt guard was a silver chain, with a strange black charm vaguely resembling a heart with small pointed spikes on it.

Yuffie knew what this weapon was, having met several people who could wield it. And she knew it was a pretty exclusive club.

Yuffie, "She's got a Keyblade!"

Cloud's eyes widened and he whirled around with a gasped, "What?"

Terra saw his chance and took it, charging forward while bringing his pole back, hoping to hit Cloud hard enough to just knock him out without to much hassle.

But what the ninja girl exclaimed next hit him so hard the wind was knocked out of him.

Yuffie, "Just like that psycho in the armor!"

Terra froze a step away from Cloud. In his mind's eye he saw those strange flashes of memory and remembered the armor that had appeared over his arm in the Corridor.

Terra, "What? What did you say?"

Mistake.

Cloud whirled around, bringing his sword up instinctively-

And slashing Terra across his chest. Terra really did have the breath knocked out of him this time-

As the strength behind the blow sent him flying back before coming to a very painful stop against a wall, hitting it so hard some stone bricks came loose and dust was displaced. Blood splattered across the ground, from the wound on his chest and from dribbling down his mouth. Terra's hand went limp and the makeshift weapon fell to the ground in a clatter, followed by his body. Terra fell to his knees, managing to stay up for a few seconds with a shocked expression on his face.

Then he fell face first into a growing puddle of his own blood.

Aqua had froze in horror when she saw the blonde swing his huge sword and cut Terra across the chest and screamed when Terra was sent flying back. She charged forward, ignoring the loudmouth girl and raced straight at the darkly clad blonde.

Aqua, "Terra!"

She had almost reached him-

When there was a sudden puff of smoke and a strong hand suddenly pinned her own arms behind her back. Something sharp was pressed against her neck and it took Aqua a split second to realize it was another one of Yuffie's shuriken, a smaller one.

The ninja girl practically shouted in her ear, "Drop it! Now!"

Aqua ignored her demand and struggled as hard as she could, but to her shock, the smaller and without a doubt younger girl had a surprisingly strong grip on her. To make her point, Yuffie pressed the blade harder against her throat, hard enough to draw a line of blood.

Yuffie, "I mean it! Drop it!"

Aqua looked over towards Terra's fallen form. He was stumbling back up on his hands and knees, hacking blood in a series of fierce coughs. Cloud was moving towards him, huge bandaged blade by his side but still raised. Aqua frantically struggled but stilled when Yuffie pressed her blade harder down again, more blood trickling down her neck.

Aqua, "Please, I have to help my friend-"

Yuffie, "Lady I don't really care about your friend. All I want you to do right now is drop the Keyblade!"

Aqua looked back at Terra, seeing he was clutching his wounded chest, blood dripping from between his fingers and off his darkening cloak. Aqua closed her eyes and let her fingers go lax.

The Keyblade slipped from her hand and hit the ground with a loud clang before vanishing in a burst of light.

Terra dragged himself up slowly, coughing harshly, spitting blood into the growing puddle around himself. The whole world was spinning and his grip on consciousness was tedious at best. He heard footsteps and saw black boots approaching him. Terra craned his head up, his right arm still clutching at his burning chest.

His ribs had no doubt been completely broken again and this huge gash wasn't helping any.

Terra's cobalt eyes met Cloud's bright ones. The blonde fighter stared at the dark haired warrior with a bored expression while Terra glared up at him with barely contained fury. Cloud, "Huh. Guess you're not as tough as I hoped."

Terra panted, mouth opening to retort when he heard a loud clang of metal against stone. He looked pass Cloud-

Terra's eyes widened in horror when he saw Yuffie holding Aqua and pressing a shuriken against her neck. And there was blood running down Aqua's skin.

Terra's eyes narrowed, his teeth gritting down so hard more blood dribbled pass his lips. He forced himself up and Cloud raised his sword once again. Cloud, "Stay down."

Terra's eyes met Cloud's once again and the warrior saw a flash of gold in their blue depths. Cloud's own eyes widened in surprise. "What the-"

Something flashed around Terra's left hand. Terra, "Get out-"

His left arm swung up in a fierce backhand, shoving hard against Cloud's sword as he screamed, "OF MY WAY!"

Cloud was caught off guard by the strength behind the blow and was nearly sent toppling over the wall. This allowed Terra to sprint pass him with speed a man with his injuries shouldn't possess. Blood splattered heavily in Terra's wake as he raced towards Yuffie and Aqua.

Both girls gasped in shock before Yuffie called, "Hey stop!"

Terra ignored her warning and kept running.

Aqua had a hopeful expression for a split-second before it fell away, her look confused. She could see something flickering around Terra's form, specifically around his left arm. Was his hand glowing?

A memory stirred.

Yuffie saw her warning hadn't fazed the enraged warrior and decided to make her point. Yuffie took several steps back, pressing her shuriken against Aqua's neck hard enough to make the water maiden flinch. Yuffie, "I mean it! Stop right now!"

Terra saw Aqua flinch in Yuffie's grasp and a fresh line of blood ran down her neck. His blood turned to fire and his face twisted into a vicious mask of animalistic rage. With a roar of, "_Let her go!_" he thrust his left arm out as if to grab Aqua and free her from Yuffie's hold.

Aqua's eyes widened in horror as she swore something red, purple and with claws began to form over Terra's hand and _reach out for her_-

There was a crackling sound in the air and multiple blasts of red and blue bursts of magics collided into Terra's chest. The dark haired warrior came to a grinding stop, grunting in pain with each hit. Aqua gasped and saw each flash of magic leave behind either frost or smoke. Terra stumbled back, clutching his worsening chest, panting and feebly, desperately, reaching for Aqua again with his left hand, black smoke still wafting between his fingers-

Just as multiple streams of crackling blue lightning raced across the upper wall, striking Terra and causing him to scream in pain. Terra stumbled back, blood dripping all over the ground before falling to his knees.

Aqua screamed and struggled harder against Yuffie's hold, almost slipping free but the ninja girl held firm. Yuffie, "Hey stop squirming so much or I'll end up cutting your throat!"

Aqua didn't heed this advice and only shouted with desperation, "Let me go! Stop attacking him please! Leave us alone!" Yuffie growled and pressed her shuriken harder against Aqua's neck, forcing her to stop struggling. Yuffie was about to say something else when another voice interrupted her.

"What's going on?"

Yuffie looked over her shoulder, Aqua still looking down on Terra, her expression pained as her friend panted and coughed blood.

Yuffie let out a small laugh and said to the approaching person, "Late to the party for once Leon?"

Aqua blinked and looked away from Terra, looking at the person who was approaching slowly.

He was wearing a black leather jacket with fur around the collar, several belts around his waist and a white shirt under his jacket. His hair was a lighter shade of brown then Terra's, his eyes a fierce, cold blue, the scar running down his face and across his nose adding to his intimidating aura. In his gloved right hand, hanging by his side was the strangest sword Aqua had ever seen.

It was a solid steel blade attached to a strangely shaped hilt with some kind of trigger his index finger was currently resting on. It reminded her of those bow gun like weapons she had seen that sniper use…

The man paused to look at Yuffie and Aqua. Aqua glared up at him. She knew he was the one who had attacked Terra. The man stared at her unemotionally for several seconds before looking at Yuffie. "Well?"

Yuffie, "Well, I caught that guy over there-" Jerking her head in the direction of Terra's slumped form and Aqua saw Cloud was walking over as well, his strange blue eyes dead set on Terra. "Doing something to the crane. And then this little miss-"

Aqua grunted as Yuffie tightened her hold, pressing the shuriken harder against her neck.

"Appeared out of nowhere to try and help him escape. If Cloud hadn't shown up I don't know if I could have beaten both of them." Yuffie stopped talking, glancing over at Terra and Cloud, Leon following her gaze. Aqua wanted to snap at the girl and try to reason with this Leon person but in her current position it could all go very wrong very fast.

Leon stared at the injured person in the black cloak, noting he had only seen Organization members wear those before. Cloud was standing over him, his huge sword drawn. Leon saw there was strange purple smoke rising off some of the bandages, which were ripped by what looked like claws. Cloud looked at Terra for a moment before meeting Leon's gaze.

Leon, "Cloud, what hap-"

Yuffie suddenly gasped and exclaimed, "Oh man I can't believe I almost forgot! This lady had a Keyblade just like that weirdo in the armor!"

Leon rounded on her, surprise in his eyes.

Terra gasped, suddenly looking up at Yuffie desperately.

Terra, "What…? What'd you…say?" His breathing was deep and labored, painful to hear and no doubt more so for Terra himself.

Leon looked back at Terra, scowling as he snapped, "Be quiet."

But Terra forced himself back on his feet, more blood dripping off his chest and through his fingers as he clutched at the wound. His face was pale and sweaty, eyes dazed.

Aqua found herself almost to tears at the pain and desperation in her friend's eyes.

Terra took a single shaky step towards Yuffie and Aqua, looking at Yuffie. Leon acted instantly. He moved forward, raising his blade so fast it was a silver blur, the tip touching Terra's neck. Leon's eyes were icicles as he snapped, "Stay where you are!"

Terra did stop moving but didn't take his eyes off Yuffie.

Terra, "Please…what did…you mean…about… the armor?"

Yuffie was shocked and flabbergasted a man this badly injured could still stand. She regained her composure and replied snidely, "What does it matter to you?"

Terra took several more deep breaths before falling back to his knees, eyes closing. Aqua instantly renewed her struggling; knowing Terra needed help right now.

Aqua, "Please let me go! I have to help him!"

Yuffie rolled her eyes sighing in aggravation as she snapped, "Girl just shut up already!"

Leon spared her an annoyed glance and Yuffie quieted down, still holding a thrashing Aqua. Leon looked at Aqua and said, "Start talking."

Cloud meanwhile spared them all one last glance, eyes lingering on Terra for a second before turning, spinning his blade in his hand as he raised it back up, slinging it across his back where it was held by an unseen force. Cloud slowly started walking away, heading for the bailey steps.

Yuffie did a double take as she watched him leave and called, "Hey where are you going you jerk?" Cloud didn't even bother to indicate he heard her, just continued on his way. Leon glanced at him in annoyance as well before returning his gaze to Aqua. Leon, "I said start talking."

Aqua stopped her thrashing, closing her eyes and taking several deep breaths as she fought to keep herself calm. Then, she met Leon's icy gaze pleadingly. Aqua, "Please, my friend needs help. He's very badly hurt. Please, let me go and help him and I'll tell you whatever you want to hear."

Yuffie rolled her eyes again. Yuffie, "Yeah right, is that before or after you two run off after he's healed?"

Aqua let out a frustrated moan as she snapped, "He couldn't run even if he's healed! Please, let me help him!"

She looked to Leon, eyes pleading and desperate.

The leather clad gunblade slinger stared at her for a moment, expression completely unreadable. Then he looked to Terra, the injured warrior barely clinging to consciousness.

Yuffie rolled her eyes, sighing in impatience. Yuffie, "Don't tell me you're actually thinking about this! It's really simp- AH!"

Yuffie suddenly stumbled as something landed on her head hard enough to make her stumble, grips on Aqua and the shuriken against her neck loosening, causing the weapon to fall with a clatter.

And allowing Aqua to break free and rush towards Terra.

Leon gasped and lunged after her, free arm reaching to grab Aqua as he called, "Hey stop!" but whatever had just hit Yuffie bounced off of her and nailed Leon on his side in a blur of blue. The gunblade slinger grunted and stumbled, giving Aqua enough time to reach Terra, kneeling down by her injured friend.

She gripped him just as he was about to fall over, helping him stay upraised slightly. Aqua, "Terra hang on, I'll get us out of here."

The dark haired warrior forced his eyes open to see both Leon and Yuffie staggering back up, Yuffie glaring in clear outrage while Leon only feigned annoyance. Yuffie growled and pulled out more shuriken. Yuffie, "This has been a major pain in my butt!"

Leon said nothing only swinging his gunblade up to balance it across his shoulder as he and Yuffie charged forward at Terra and Aqua. Aqua saw them racing over and rose up on shaky knees, her right arm thrusting out by her side to call her Keyblade in a flash of light and petals.

Could she take them both on as exhausted as she was?

The answer came from a very unlikely source.

There was a spinning blur of blue that leapt over Leon and Yuffie, landing right in front of Terra and Aqua. Everyone gasped as the blue blur righted itself.

Revealing one ticked off blue furred koala bear looking creature, with a small green blaster in both clawed hands, big black eyes narrowed and his lips peeled back in a snarl, revealing every row of pointed teeth.

Aqua gasped, her sapphire eyes widening while Terra only blinked in shock.

But not nearly as shocked as Yuffie and Leon. Yuffie cried in frustration, "Ugh, Stitch! What are you doing you stupid furball? They're the bad guys!"

Leon didn't lower his gunblade as he barked in a deep commanding voice, "Stitch! Move out of the way!"

Stitch shook his head, snarling and snapping, "No! No let you hurt Stitch's frens!"

Aqua blinked, looking at the creature with confused familiarity. Aqua, "'Stitch'?"

Stitch gasped, ears perking up at the sound of Aqua's voice. He turned around, smiling happily up at her. Stitch, "Ah-koo, wa!"

Both Leon and Yuffie did double-takes.

Yuffie, "What the-? He knows her name?"

Leon said nothing, brow furrowing in wonder.

Stitch looked from Aqua to Terra, his grin falling as his ears dropped against his head at the sight of his bloodied form.

Stitch, "Terra…"

The earth warrior only chuckled weakly.

Terra, "I shouldn't be that surprised you're here too."

Yuffie growled, her hands gripping at her hair as if she wanted to yank it out in frustration. Yuffie, "Would someone please tell me what's going on?"

And then just to add to the growing strangeness of this day, a very large cloud of sparkling blue dust suddenly filled the area. Everyone began coughing harshly, waving their hands out in front of themselves. Yuffie covered her mouth and nose while frantically waving her other hand out, Leon simply covering the lower half of his face with the crock of his arm that held his gunblade. Stitch covered his mouth and nose with both hands, dropping his blasters to do so while Aqua shielded herself and Terra with her arms and body.

Stumbling through the smoke was a tall lanky figure, also furiously sweeping his arms out to brush the smoke away. "Oh my," a well polished voice commented. "Used a bit too much magic that time."

Aqua forced her tearing eyes to open and look through the fading smoke to locate the owner of that voice. It was so familiar…

Leon and Yuffie saw the old man in blue robes and pointy blue hat approach them, adjusting his glasses with his left hand as the right held a long wand.

"I say, why are you both making such a ruckus over here? We can hear you back at the cottage!"

Aqua gasped as she finally saw the old man and called out to him, "Merlin!"

The old wizard blinked and turned around, adjusting his glasses once again as he squinted at Aqua, Stitch and Terra. His eyes widened and he smiled broadly, though you couldn't tell because his bushy gray beard covered most of his mouth.

Merlin, "Well I'll be! It's you two, those delightfully well mannered youths!"

Yuffie did another double take while Leon's eyes widened more so then before.

Yuffie, "Merlin you KNOW these two?"

The wizard nodded, looking back at her as he replied, "Why yes I do! That young lady was very well mannered when she visited my home here and that boy by her gave me that book I've come to love so much!"

Terra chuckled, a grimace like smile crossing his lips as he looked up at Merlin. Terra, "Your elderness…I'm glad to see…you're well…"

Merlin frowned when he saw how badly injured Terra was.

"I wish I could say the same dear boy, but you look as if a locomotive ran you down. Several times."

Terra chuckled again before coughing violently, blood dribbling down his lips, staining his entire lower jar. His cobalt eyes rolled as his body swayed.

Terra, "Oh good…I like to look the way I feel…."

And then he pitched sideways, collapsing and finally passing out. Aqua gasped and screamed, "Terra!" She reached for him, straining to pull his limp and heavy body up. Stitch scuttled over towards them, quickly looking between Aqua's nearly crying face to Terra's passed out form, terrified to see his old friends after so long and in such distress.

Merlin gasped. "Oh no!"

Aqua turned her teary helpless gaze back to Merlin and pleaded desperately, "Please Merlin you have to help us!"

The wizard nodded, raising his wand slightly. Merlin, "Quite right. I'm not a healer but thankfully there's one close by."

Leon's eyes widened and he lunged towards Merlin as the wizard began waving his wand. Leon, "Merlin wait-"

But the wizard suddenly exclaimed, "Zim zim alabim!"

There was another he burst of sparkling blue smoke. When it faded away, everyone on the walkway had vanished.

* * *

Another, but smaller, burst of blue smoke burst inside the wooden cottage, startling Aerith and making her flinch. Cid had been typing away at his computer, pausing as he looked at the fading smoke and the sudden multiple occupants inside the cottage. Cid mumbled in annoyance, "Well got-dang-it, it was so nice and quiet."

Aerith saw that Merlin wasn't alone and had Leon, Yuffie and Stitch with him, as well as two strangers she didn't recognize, a girl with blue hair and teary sapphire eyes along with an older boy with spiky dark locks wearing a familiar black cloak. The boy was lying limply on the empty podium that once had Merlin's tea table, the girl standing very close to him and fiercely clutching his hand. Stitch sat by his head, the blue furball's ears lying flat against his head as his big black eyes stared sadly at the injured boy.

Leon and Yuffie were recovering from the sudden displacement while Merlin was looking around quickly, his eyes spotting Aerith in seconds. Merlin, "Ah, Aerith my dear! This boy is in desperate need of your healing hands."

Without replying, just smiling gently, Aerith walked over to the blue haired girl, her green eyes looking over the boy. Up closer, she could see he was in very bad shape. His black cloak was stained with dripping blood from a huge cut across his chest and his face was very pale. The bluenette looked at Aerith, sniffling a little. "Please, can you help him?" She asked with a voice on the urge of breaking.

Aerith looked at her and nodded, still smiling.

Aerith, "Don't worry. I'll make him right as rain in a jiffy." With that, Aerith raised her right hand up and it began glowing a bright, healthy green around her index and middle fingers, which she held up before moving them towards the boy's gashed chest.

But before she could touch the wound Leon suddenly snapped, "Don't!"

Aerith stopped, looking up at Leon and frowning sternly. Aerith, "It's my duty as a healer to help those need, so I don't appreciate being told not to do my job."

Leon had never seen Aerith actually angry with him so he was caught off guard for a second, allowing Yuffie to interject with, "Aerith you can't heal that guy! He's an Organization flunkie! Just look at the cloak!"

The bluenette screamed back at Yuffie before Aerith could respond "He's not! We don't know what you're talking about!"

During this, Aerith calmly planted her hand on the bleeding boy's chest. She closed her eyes, blocking out everything else. And then she felt it, weak, not doubt from his injuries, but still there.

"He's not a Nobody."

Aerith opened her eyes, looking at Leon and Yuffie. "He has a heartbeat. And that's all the proof I need."

Leon's eyes widened while Yuffie did a double take. Yuffie, "What? No way!"

Aqua breathed a sigh of relief, still confused, but thankful for this girl for believing her.

Aerith lay her hand flat against the gash on his chest, the man flinching slightly from the contact but did not stir. A wave of green light covered his whole body completely, quickly accompanied by falling ethereal green leaves that landed on each of his wounds, from the huge gash to the smallest bruise.

It only took a second but the aura vanished and the man's injuries faded away, the gash on his chest closing with no visible scar, followed by the wince causing sound of bones snapping back in place. The man jerked, face grimacing but he remained still after that. When the green aura faded entirely, the color had returned to his face, his breathing becoming slow and regular. From where her hand lay, Aerith could feel his heartbeat speed up just a little to regular beats.

She smiled down on him before looking at the girl and saying, "He'll be just fine now."

The girl let out a shuddering, shaking relieved breath, her eyes closing as her hand slipped into the unconscious man's and her other hand stroked some of his dark locks from his face, smiling gently with relief down at the man's sleeping face. Aerith smiled as well, about to say something when there was a happy cry and the healer stumbled as Stitch leapt onto her shoulders, hugging her head and saying several strange words, another language even, but Aerith understood their meaning. Stitch was thanking her.

Aerith giggled, stroking one of Stitch's suddenly perky ears and asking, "Oh? And what are you so happy about?"

Stitch smiled and replied, "Aerith help Stitch frens!"

Aerith blinked, and then realized Stitch was referring to the two newcomers. She looked at Stitch and then them before asking Stitch, "Oh? These two are your friends?"

The blue furball nodded eagerly before hopping back onto the podium. He pointed a single black claw at the unconscious male. Stitch, "Terra." Then, he pointed a claw at the bluenette, who smiled a little as Stitch said, "Ah-koo, wa."

Aerith looked at the bluenette, still smiling as she said, "It's nice to meet you, 'Ah-koo, wa'."

The blue haired girl let out a small laugh, wiping away a few tears from her cheeks before looking at Aerith and saying, "It's Aqua and it's nice to meet you as well."

She looked back at Terra, gently stroking his forehead. Aqua looked back at Aerith and said in a relieved whisper, "Thank you so much. I almost lost him again…"

Aerith smiled and replied casually with a chipper tone, "It's what I do."

Merlin suddenly spoke up while walking over to the girls. Merlin, "Indeed! Young Aerith here has healing skills far beyond even my years of magic gathering. Terra should be just fine now-"

"This is all fine and dandy-" A voice interrupted.

Aqua scowled as she. Aerith and Merlin looked over towards Leon and Yuffie, who hadn't moved from where they stood. Yuffie went on, "But we have some questions we want answered. Like now."

Aqua glared at them and snapped, "I'm not saying anything to either of you."

Yuffie met her glare and exclaimed, "Lady I don't know what your deal is but I don't have to-"

"Got-dang-it shut up over there!"

Everyone blinked and turned, seeing Cid angrily glaring at all of them as he chewed down hard on his toothpick. Cid, "If the girl don't wanna talk she doesn't have too!"

Leon snapped, "Cid stay out of this."

The ex-pilot scowled and was about to retort with a few choice words when Aerith suddenly interjected, "Leon, please, the poor girl and her friend need to rest. Whatever it is can wait until tomorrow."

Leon and Yuffie didn't have time to respond as Merlin quickly added, "I'm in full agreement. Aqua and Terra shall stay here and rest in the new guest rooms I've added."

Leon blinked. "'Guest rooms'?"

Merlin didn't respond, instead he waved his wand and a section of the ceiling faded away. Merlin, "I told you I was doing some redecorating my boy!"

Suddenly, the podium rose up, carrying the unconscious Terra, a surprised Aqua, Stitch and Aerith and Merlin himself up into the new floor above. Yuffie, "Hey wait!"

But in moments they were all gone from sight.

Yuffie stamped her feet down while exclaiming in disgusted frustration, "UGH! That is unbelievable! Can you believe Merlin and Aerith- Leon?"

The leather clad gunblade slinger was heading for the door.

Yuffie sputtered and raced after him, calling, "Hey wait up!"

Cid watched them go through the door and let out a pleased sigh as he turned back to his computer.

Cid, "Finally… some peace and quiet."

Outside, Leon was heading down the alleys, Yuffie struggling to keep up as the leather clad gunblade slinger walked in long strides.

Yuffie, "Leon! Hey, slow down! Come on!"

With an angry growl, Leon reluctantly stopped. Leon, "What?"

Yuffie glared up at Leon in response to his snapping tone and asked, "So that's it? We're just letting them stay there? You saw what that guy was wearing! Even if he's not a Nobody, those cloaks are bad news! And whoever wears one is trouble!"

Leon crossed his arms over his chest and sighed deeply in his throat. After a moment, he opened his eyes and replied, "I don't either. But for now, we just go on Yuffie."

The ninja girl frowned, looking back towards Merlin's cottage; She looked back up at Leon, frowning. Yuffie, "Leon…There's something about that guy…Something I can't explain…That scares me. I've got a bad feeling about him being here."

Leon looked at her, his expression thoughtful but far from comforting. And then he simply replied, "Resume your rounds. We'll talk later."

Yuffie looked at him in a combination of fear and disappointment. Then, with a small sigh and nod, turned and headed off.

Leon watched her go. Then, he looked towards the cottage, noting its new, slightly larger size.

He remembered those claw marks on Cloud's blade and that strange smoke he had seen around that man's hand as he had lunged at Yuffie and the blue haired woman. And how it had taken the shape of a gnarled, clawed hand.

Who were those two? Merlin knew them both, as did Stitch of all creatures, knew them and even defended them. And then there was fact the woman could wield a Keyblade…

Leon stared at the cottage for another moment, before turning and heading off, the sun in the sky above beginning to set.

And like Yuffie, he couldn't fight the feeling something bad was coming.

Or already here.

* * *

The second floor of the cottage was surprisingly just an exact replica of Merlin's first cottage, Aqua realized as she looked around, Terra's unconscious body leaning against her as she supported him with Aerith's help, Stitch standing between their legs, looking around in awe. Merlin was walking towards some doors, opening one of them, then the next. Nodding to himself he turned back to the women and unconscious male. Merlin, "Alright, I have two rooms for you and Terra my dear. They're not five star quality but they should do until we can find better housing for you two later."

Aqua nodded and smiled at the old wizard gratefully. Aqua, "Merlin I'll never be able to repay you for this." The mighty wizard actually blushed, coughing into his hand awkwardly. Merlin, "Ahem, uh yes, don't mention it my dear. Take whichever room you want."

With that, Merlin wandered over to his growing pile of books. Aqua looked at Aerith, who smiled cheerfully again. The two carried Terra towards the right door, Stitch following after them as Aerith opened the door. Aqua blinked when she looked inside.

It was a spacious room with a large bed, a small desk table by the bed, a bookshelf filled with even more of Merlin's books and a fireplace. The two women stepped inside, Stitch moving ahead of them and looking around. Stitch, "Oooh…Nice room."

Aqua, "You can say that again." Aerith giggled a little.

Very carefully and gently, they placed Terra atop of the bed covers. Aqua was reluctant to leave his side, staring with concerned eyes at his sleeping face while Stitch climbed up on the bed, looking at Terra as well, then up at Aqua and Aerith. Aqua took Terra's right hand in both of hers, gently brushing his covered palm. The water maiden looked back at Aerith and asked with lingering concern, "Are you sure he'll be alright in the morning?"

The flower girl nodded, still smiling. Aerith, "You have my word. He doesn't have even the tiniest scratch left on him."

Aqua let out a small sigh of relief, smiling down at Stitch and Terra. The blue furball smiled back, big eyes watching her and Aerith. Aqua let go of Terra's hand and slowly moved away from her sleeping friend as she and Aerith started to leave the room. Aerith looked back to Stitch and called, "Come on Stitch, he needs his rest."

The little furball let out a moan of disappointment and reluctantly scuttled after the two women. Aerith held the door to let Stitch out and was about to close when she looked back at Terra. Her smile slowly faded to a concerned frown.

Her green eyes lingered on him for a moment. Then, she slowly closed the door.

Terra slept undisturbed, cloaked in the growing shadows.

* * *

It was dark in Radiant Garden, though you really couldn't tell as night and day looked almost exactly the same to both visitors and the world's own citizens.

The Restoration Committee was buckling down for the night, returning to their homes save for Cid, Aerith and Leon. Aerith was looking around the lower part of the cottage, marveling at all the free space they suddenly had and wondering what to do with it. Leon stood by Cid at the computer, looking over some new figures.

Cid spat out a used up toothpick while reaching into his pouch for new one as he pointed to a read out on the screen. Cid, "There was another electrical disturbance today. Weird thing is, it stopped almost as soon as it began."

Leon rubbed his jaw in thought before asking, "Where at?"

Cid hit a few keys, chewing his toothpick for a second before finally replying, "By the crane. Don't worry, she'll still work so repairs on the walls won't be interrupted."

Leon's eyes narrowed. Leon, "Right where those two appeared…"

Aerith blinked and turned towards Leon when she heard that, frowning a little.

Cid looked up at Leon, asking, "You think they had something to do with it?"

Aerith's frown became annoyed and she was about to say something when another voice interrupted.

"Not Terra and Ah-koo,wah!"

Both Leon and Cid looked up to see Stitch climbing the wall behind the computer, scowling down at the two. Stitch, "Was cousin!"

Both Cid and Leon exchanged looks.

Cid raised a brow, his toothpick rising as well.

Cid, "Cousin?"

Stitch nodded. Stitch, "Kanjijibe! Ziz-ziz!"

Leon scowled up at the furball. Leon, "Leave Stitch. We don't have time for your antics."

Stitch let out a growl, then quickly scampered up the wall, disappearing into the floor above. Aerith watched him go before looking back at Leon and Cid. Aerith, "Do you guys have to treat him like that? He was just trying to help."

Cid waved her off and Leon didn't even spare a glance.

Aerith sighed and moved towards the podium to go find Stitch in the floor above.

Leon looked at Cid once he was sure Aerith was out of ear shot.

Leon, "Make sure those two don't go anywhere tomorrow. I don't want them out of the Committee's sight until we know more about them."

Cid scowled, but nodded once, a quick jerk of the head.

"Whatever, boss."

Leon ignored his jab. He rubbed his chin with one hand, his left clutching the hilt of his gunblade.

One could never be too careful…

* * *

She couldn't sleep.

Her sapphire eyes gazed up at the ceiling, not really seeing it in the dark.

Aqua lay under the covers, her hands resting on her chest while her mind raced from thought to thought, about what happened in the Dark Margin, arriving in the crumbling remains of Radiant Garden then to their encounters with the Committee and finally here. They finally settled on what was really keeping her up.

Terra.

She turned her head looking towards the door.

Very carefully she pushed the covers back and stood up. She had taken off her sleeves, sashes, stockings and boots but kept her top and shorts on. She was limited on clothes right now but would make do for the time being.

As quietly and carefully as she could, Aqua pushed the door open and peered out into the main room of the cottage. It was dark and seemingly empty. Still staying quiet but moving quickly, Aqua moved in front of Terra's door and opened it, stepping inside.

It was even darker in Terra's room the water maiden found. Thanks to what little rest she had gotten, Aqua had enough focus to conjure a small ball of light in her palm, allowing her to see better.

Aqua saw Terra had shifted a little, having rolled onto his right side; his left arm sprawled out a little.

Aqua slowly walked over towards Terra, sitting on the edge of his bed and dispelling the small ball of light. She stared at his sleeping face, listening to his even breathing. She smiled for a moment before looking at his left hand.

She remembered the claws.

And…something else…

* * *

_She looked around wildly, and saw the imposter was gone._

_Where could he have gone? Run off maybe, hiding in the upper part of the square or-_

_The shadows under her rippled as something, no someone, leapt up and out of the inky darkness, his left arm thrusting out to call forth a red and purple spectral arm with claws that tore into her back._

_She screamed-_

* * *

Aqua shook her head, shoving the memories down.

She looked back at Terra's face, her hand reaching out to brush his longer dark locks from his forehead. And then, she whispered a silent promise.

"I won't let you stray again…I promise this time…I'll stay by your side."

Her eyes grew heavy all of a sudden.

They drooped a little, Aqua finding herself growing weary really fast as her hand moved over Terra's cheek.

I'll just lay down for a second, she thought. Her head touched the other pillow, her eyes closing.

And soon her breathing was deep and even as well.

She didn't move, even as Terra shifted, his left hand grasping her wrist before settling.

They slept, undisturbed, cloaked in darkness. There was a sudden small shaft of light as the door opened and closed, but not all the way but this did not wake them.

They never heard a scuttling sound on the floor and a moment later, a small furry creature crawled atop the bed, staring at the sleeping maiden and warrior curiously. Then, it too yawned and curled up at their feet and fell asleep as well.

* * *

Aerith tiptoed slowly across the cottage's upper floor, not wanting to disturb either of their sleeping guests.

"Stitch?" She called in a whisper. "Stitch, where are you?"

She saw the door to Terra's room was ajar slightly.

The flower girl sighed and approached the door. She slowly opened it while whispering, "Stitch, please don't bother-"

She stopped mid sentence, blinking in surprise.

Aqua lay asleep by Terra, her hand cupping his cheek, his own hand grasping her wrist. Stitch was in the room, laying curled up at their feet, also asleep.

Aerith stared for another moment. Then, she smiled, closing the door gently as to not disturb them.

As she headed for the downstairs, Aerith thought to herself about how things would be much more interesting around the Garden with their new visitors.

* * *

Whew, long chapter is LONG. Hola faithful readers! Bet you all wondered when I'd actually update this? How about today? This would have been up sooner but school, friends and life in general kept me busy.

Took me long enough.

Anyway, we're just starting with this story but it should only be about as long or a little longer then Lingering Vengeance and no where near as long as Body and Soul. Speaking of B & S (Snicker) I'm hard at work on Chap. 16 and it should be posted (Hopefully) soon.

But enough boring tech stuff!

On to review responses!

DarkNekoGirl92: 1: I've never done a sequel so I'm kinda nervous, plus its my first serious romantic fic. That doesn't help in the anxiety but I'll do my best to make a fic worthy of all you awesome readers. 2: Subtly is the way to go. Thank you, I'll try to update as fast as I can.

Aqua StormXIV: 1: Thank you. Well, they're connected per se. What I mean is is that I leave it up to you readers. I myself don't think they are but they could be. 2: Really? I love the Dark Margin. There's just something about that place...I did my best in describing it, to give it real justice. Yes he is. Now if he can just realize how much he really cares about her... I look forward to writing it!

DarkMoonPrincessAzara: (Points to author comments.)

Yue Twili: 1: My openings are the best part of any of my stories in my opinion. Will try. 2: Oh shat indeed! Radiant Garden and Ansem the Wise...I wonder what their roles are in this?

Shanny-Boo: 1: Thank you. 2: Yay! Thank you, it is a...haunting place isn't it? So much waits there... and don't think this is the last time we see it in this story.

Flightfoot: Realm of Darkness. Well... We'll see. 2:...Radiant Flower.

DarkangelGuard77: Eh, kinda cornered myself into this but we'll see if this story can live up to its preceder.

UltraWonderBoy: 1: You'll be waiting a while. It took me a month just to write Chapter Two. 2: Well, if you want to get technical, Xemnas is Terra's body so- Ah never mind. You bring up a point though...

Berry4145: D'awwwwwwww.

NinjaSheik: Will try.

Hoshikazu Yume: Yaaaaaaaay! I'm spreading the TerAqua love! Don't hate the cliff hangers, hate the cliff hanger writer.

Taeniaea: Thank you.

Riku Uzumaki: Of course, where else could I have sent them? ...Don't answer that.

Twilight Cardmistress: Don't cry reader! I promise I'll update as soon as I can. (Bops Terra on the head with a newspaper.) Bad Terra! Please don't cry or I'll cry! ;_;

Jimbob5536: Plan to.

The Dani-chan Replika 2. 06: Mew? Yay indeed! So do I reader. What was I waiting for? ...What indeed?

Keep reading everyone!


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Old Frenemy.

_His eyes were hidden under his cloaks hood, but they remained fixed towards the black sea waters, right on the single setting star. He was sitting on one of the rocks lined with glowing blue streams, arms resting on his legs._

_He rather…liked… this place._

_Both realms, light and dark, had a chaotic sense to them, constant movement and a never-ending anxiety._

_But this place…_

_It was on the edge of darkness and mere inches from light…_

_And there was peace._

_He came here as often as he could, simply to relax._

_But this was not the only place he came to simply to relax…_

_There was another._

_But, lately, it was harder and harder to get to...discreetly._

_His eyes closed for a moment, head bowing a little._

_There was another reason he came here so often._

_The water…_

_Not far away, by a large rock that jutted from the sand, the shadows rippled._

_And a second figure cloaked in a black coat stepped out, but he was shorter, much younger then the one sitting on the rock. The one on the rock turned his head towards the newcomer. And under his hood, he smiled._

"_You have arrived."_

_The newcomer hesitated for several seconds. And then, he slowly approached the sitting man. The sitting man watched his approach. When the newcomer had reached him, he went on._

"_I've been to see him. He looks a lot like you."_

_The newcomer, much younger then the man, stopped several feet from his form, hesitant and cautious. And then, with a voice young and familiar, asked, "Who are you?"_

_Under his hood, he smiles, and right where his eyes are, twin sparks of orange flames are briefly seen. He looked back towards the black waters that sparkled a faint sheen of silver under the single star._

_And he replies-_

* * *

"I'm what's left."

Cobalt eyes blinked open at the sound of the words, though they closed almost just as quickly, their owner almost blinded by the shaft of light piercing through the curtained window and landing right on his face. Eyes still closed, he pushed himself up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and blinked a few times when he was able to keep them open. For a moment he was confused, wondering who had spoken.

And then Terra realized it had been himself who spoke.

His still booted foot brushed something soft, warm and furry and he felt whatever it was shift a little. Blinking, the dark haired warrior sat up, pushing himself up with his left hand to a sitting position and looked down at the foot of the bed he had slept on. Terra blinked again in surprise.

And then allowed himself a small, bemused smile.

Stitch was laying curled at his feet, jaw parted slightly as the blue furred alien took deep even breaths, one of his little legs occasionally twitching, kicking out and his lips smacking and the alien would smile before turning onto his side. Terra chuckled lowly.

_I guess even 62-…Stitch, can be cute when he wants to be,_ Terra mused to himself, still very amused by the alien's choice of name.

Something shifted by his side and Terra could hear faint murmuring. He blinked, turning and looking down in confusion-

He stopped. His whole body went rigid, his eyes widening. For a moment, his mind couldn't process what he was seeing, unable to even begin to believe it.

Aqua lay facing next to him, lying on her side with one hand curled under her head and the other reaching out towards Terra. She breathed softly; her chest rising and falling slowly and smoothly and he knew she was still very deep in sleep, the light of the morning dawn framing her water blue hair perfectly, her pale skin glowing like gold.

She looked angelic.

For that same moment Terra was so stunned he almost forgot to breath. He couldn't think. Only stare at her.

_**Mine…**_

That single hissed thought snapped him out of his daze.

"W-what?"

He blurted that out a little louder then he intended. Aqua frowned in her sleep and shifted a little; murmuring something before going still and resuming her deep, slow breathing. Terra slowly and carefully rose out of the bed and looked around. The last thing he remembered was he had been practically bleeding to death at the hands of that swordsmen in black with the spiky blonde hair and chilling blue eyes when Merlin had appeared at the last moment to save him and Aqua simply by vouching for them that they were not part of…What had that girl said?

_The Organization. Nobodies… whatever those are,_ Terra thought. After that Terra had no idea. He was now in some room that reminded him of a very nice cabin lodge. And Aqua had been **sleeping** next to him.

Terra looked around the room a little more but stopped and looked back at the bed when he heard more sleepy mumbling. This time, it was Stitch. And the alien was waking up. The blue furball sat up, small claws rubbing at his half open black eyes, ears drooping against his head. He lowered his claws, blinking a few times before his eyes focused right on Terra. Stitch's mouth opened in a hug smile, his ears shooting up in excitement and the little alien leapt, tackling Terra's chest in a hug as he screeched happily, "Terra!"

Terra fought back a grimace and flinched when he saw Aqua shift and mumble again, her arm moving over her head, no doubt to block both the rising sun and the sound of Stitch's excited chatter. Acting quickly, Terra quickly snatched Stitch off his chest, clamping a hand over his mouth and held the struggling alien still. Terra gazed tensely at Aqua and breathed a sigh of relief when she went still and stayed asleep.

Moving quickly, but quietly, Terra turned to the room's only door and opened it, thanking whatever powers that be that the door's hinges didn't squeak and stepped out into the hallway, still holding the slightly struggling Stitch to his chest as he did. When he was outside of the room and the door was safely closed. Terra let out a sigh of relief.

This was quickly followed by a yelp of pain as Stitch sunk his many teeth into the leather of Terra's still gloved hand. Terra quickly let go of Stitch and the alien landed on all fours, growling and glaring up at Terra while snarling, "Aka tikki faba!"

Terra rubbed his aching hand, thankful Stitch hadn't bit down hard enough to break through the glove and the skin underneath before replying dryly (and quietly), "I take it that's something I don't wanna know the meaning of?"

Stitch nodded, still scowling up at Terra but stood up on his two hind legs now. Terra smiled apologetically at Stitch. Terra, "Sorry Stitch. I just…" He looked back towards the door, trailing off for a second before resuming, "…didn't want to disturb Aqua."

Stitch's eyes widened in realization. "Oh," He chuckled nervously in that alien accent, rubbing the back of his furry neck. "My bad."

Terra smiled. "S'ok."

"I say," an old and cranky voice called from behind them. "What is all this ruckus?"

Terra and Stitch both turned and looked down the end of the hall. Stepping out from the end of the hallway was Merlin still dressed in his blue robes, pointy hat, and slippers. He squinted behind his spectacles and smiled when he saw Terra and Stitch.

Merlin exclaimed, "Ah, Terra my boy! You're looking well rested and much better." He paused, frowning a little as he looked over Terra's attire. "If not very disheveled." Terra looked over himself and found he agreed.

The black cloak he had woke up in yesterday was now wrinkled, torn in several places, mainly the chest and upper arms, stained and reeking of blood. Terra gazed down at the tears in the sleeves and nodded. "You can say that again."

Stitch sniffed the side of the long cloak and jerked back, sticking his tongue out and gagging out a "Yuck!"

Terra scowled playfully down at him. Terra, "Thanks Stitch." The furball smiled and replied with that alien accent, "No problem!"

Terra chuckled a little while still looking over himself. Terra, "Well, I guess I'll need a tailor. Or a new set of clothes."

Merlin smiled, a twinkle in his eye. "I can do you one better my boy!" With that said, Merlin flicked his wrist and his wand appeared from nowhere. With another flick, blue and pink sparkles of magic covered Terra over and a flash of light went off. When Terra could stop blinking he saw his cloak had been completely repaired. He smiled in awe and gratitude towards Merlin.

Terra, "Aw, Merlin, thank you!" Even Stitch seemed to approve as he took another whiff of Terra's cloak and grinned. Stitch, "Ooh, pine scented!"

That made Terra laugh though he quickly stopped, glancing back at his rooms' door. Thankfully, it didn't seem like their chatter had disturbed Aqua. Merlin frowned, noticing Terra's sudden tension and asked, "Something the matter dear boy?"

Terra blinked then shook his head maybe a bit just to quickly. "No, nothing."

Stitch frowned, cocking his head a little up at Terra. Merlin frowned for a moment, twinkling eyes gauging Terra's own. Then, he shrugged. Merlin, "Well, if you say so. Now, would you two like to accompany me to breakfast?"

At the mention of breakfast Terra almost found himself drooling. He felt like he hadn't eaten in years. Terra nodded eagerly and Merlin started walking towards the end of the hallway, stopping once he reached a strange raised stone podium. Stitch followed after the wizard, sitting next to his leg. Terra was a little more hesitant, eying the podium suspiciously. Merlin beckoned him, waving his hand impatiently. "Come now boy, it doesn't bite."

Terra still eyed the podium with wary but stepped onto it nonetheless, standing by Stitch and Merlin. No sooner had he stepped onto it completely did the whole thing flash suddenly and give a lurch, making Terra stumble while Stitch merely flinch and let out a confused growl. Merlin stood still, idly looking over his wand. To Terra's surprise the podium sank through the floor, taking all three of them into a floor below.

Terra blinked, seeing stonewalls and passing rafters, but what really shocked him was the huge computer monitor hooked into the far right corner of the room where a blonde haired man was currently typing up a storm. The man only spared Terra, Merlin and Stitch a glance when the podium they stood on reached the floor, scowling at the loud 'thump' sound it made upon contact with the floor.

As Terra, Stitch and Merlin stepped off the podium, the blonde swiveled his chair around and Terra saw he was chewing on a toothpick. The man studied Terra with annoyed blue eyes. Then he said, "Well you look about half better than you did yesterday. Then again, you were half dead."

Terra blinked, confused. Merlin sighed in aggravation. "And a good morning to you as well Cid."

'Cid' squinted a glare at Merlin before turning back to his computer and resumed typing. Merlin started to lead Terra towards a long table while waving his wand out. Terra nearly stumbled when a chair suddenly swept under him, tripping him backwards and making him sit down as he was pulled up to the table. Stitch had better luck simply by jumping onto the chair that tried to sweep into him, the little furball cackling in amusement as he was pulled up to the table.

Merlin flicked his wand again and across from the table a small stove came alive, the burners igniting, pans and skillets moving on their accord. Terra watched, baffled while Stitch licked his lips and smacked his gums hungrily. Merlin lowered his wand but the pots and pans still moved on their accord and some food products began appearing, eggs cracking, butter being rubbed across a skillet and some raw bacon being laid out, instantly sizzling on the pan's hot surface.

Terra found the urge to drool was getting a little overpowering at this point but managed to control himself. Stitch on the other hand was gnawing away at the table, actually biting a few chunks of it off. Merlin made a 'tsking' sound and wagged his wand at Stitch.

"Stitch! How many times have I told you? No eating the furniture!"

Stitch paused in his rampant devouring, blinking his big black eyes, ears drooping. Apologetically, he reached inside his slimy maw and removed the bite-sized chunks of the table he had eaten, sticking them back on the table as if they hadn't been eaten off. And it almost looked like they hadn't…well, if you ignored the huge globs of drool all over them.

Terra found his appetite fading quickly.

Stitch bowed his head, wringing his claws apologetically. "Stitch sorry…"

Merlin eyed Stitch reprovingly but then smiled. "Quite alright my little friend, just try to practice better manners is all." In response to the wizards' words stitch instantly perked up, ears rising, an excited grin spreading across his face.

Terra chuckled a little at Stitch's random moods, shaking his head slightly. Stitch looked at Terra when he heard him, chuckle, cocking his head quizzically. Stitch, "Terra? What funny?"

Terra shook his head, stifling his chuckles. Terra, "Nothing Stitch. It's nothing."

Merlin smirked in bemusement, a twinkle in his eye as he observed Terra and the blue furred alien. Then he coughed into his hand and looked at Terra, smiling pleasantly as he asked, "Now dear boy, what would you like?"

Terra looked back up at Merlin, his stomach in knots at the thought of something to eat. Anything sounded good as this point but he decided to go for the classic. Terra, "Just some bacon and scrambled eggs."

Merlin nodded and flicked his wand. Instantly a plate conjured up in a puff of blue and pink smoke, the skillets and pans with the pan appearing over it to magically levitate the food onto the plate. In another poof of smoke it was in front of Terra along with a set of silverware and a glass of milk. Terra looked over his first breakfast in a long time with the eyes of someone who just stumbled upon vast, unclaimed riches.

But before he could how down there was another puff of magical smoke across from him. Blinking, Terra looked up from his breakfast and nearly did a double take, his eyes bugging out. It seemed Stitch was having the same meal…only in huger quantities.

The alien cackled greedily as he looked over his own food, which was laid out in a huge bowl and just mixed together, kinda like a dog dish. Stitch looked over his meal, letting out a pleased sigh while carefully tying a bib across his neck. Stitch looked over his meal again as he grabbed a spoon and fork in each hand, grinning happily-

And promptly tossing them aside to dive into the bowl and proceeded to sloppily devour his food, letting out loud growls and gnashing sounds. Terra felt his appetite rapidly fade away, his face turning a nice shade of green as he watched Stitch literally dig into his food, his fork hanging suspended over his eggs. Merlin sighed in annoyance once again, shaking his head and rubbing his brow as he watched Stitch pig out.

Cid meanwhile, was grinding his teeth in extreme aggravation as he listened to the disgusting wet smacking sounds Stitch was making, the sounds overpowering the clicking sound his keyboard made as his fingers rapidly typed away. Finally unable to take it anymore, Cid rounded around, still sitting in his chair as he shot a glare at Merlin and barked, "Hey! Thought you were teaching that runt manners, like, I dunno, chewing with your mouth closed? All that noise he's makin' is givin' me a headache!"

Merlin shot back his own glare while Terra was unable to turn away from the sight of Stitch eating, eyes wide in numbed disgust and fascination. Merlin called back, "I tried teaching you manners Cid, and we all know how that worked out!"

Cid's eyes widened and his nostrils flared up. He shot some _very _colorful words back at Merlin but the mage was no longer paying attention to the former pilot and instead looked back at Terra. Said person was still frozen where he sat with his jaw hung slack open in shock, a forkful of eggs dangling in front of his open mouth. Merlin frowned, oblivious to the reasons for Terra's sudden strange behavior.

Merlin, "Dear boy, what is the matter?"

Terra slowly looked at Merlin, eye twitching while Stitch continued to sloppily devour his dog dish of breakfast.

Terra, "…Nothing, Merlin. Nothing at all."

The wizard gave Terra a dubious look while an animated mop and bucket began to clean up the stray flying bits of bacon and eggs that didn't land in Stitch's mouth…but everywhere else.

Cid chuckled under his breath. Cid, "I like that kid already…" He continued to type away at his keyboard, eyes glued to his monitor which as displaying a layout of Radiant Garden's streets along with a side screen of data on Claymore's diagnostic-

When the screen flickered and then turned blue, the keyboard locking up. Cid let out a curse, spitting his chewed toothpick out in disgust. Cid, "Got dang it, the blue screen of death!" Cursing again, Cid turned his chair around to face Merlin, once more screaming, "Your got dang wand is responsible for this! I keep tellin' you all that magic you keep wavin' around is interfering!"

Merlin let out a frustrated growl, facing Cid, wand raised while his free hand was clenched in a shaking fist.

Neither wizard nor mechanic noticed the computer screen had begun to flicker, sparks discharging.

Merlin retorted, "And I keep telling _you_: it's ELECTRICAL interference!"

That very loud exclamation made Terra blink, his whole body going rigid as the computer behind Cid began to spark and sizzle even more, the noise rising over the sound of Stitch's gnashing. The warrior whirled his head up and looked past the bickering older men and towards the computer. Terra's eyes widened as the screen continued to flicker much faster now, sparks discharging from all over it.

The earth warrior lunged up and forward, knocking his chair over as he screamed, "GET DOWN!"

Too late.

The screen exploded, knocking Cid over, the ex-pilot cursing in shock. The electricity surged, gathering into a large blue and white orb that hovered in the center of the room, streams of lightning striking anything and everything electrical, causing various appliances to come alive and explode shortly after. The small explosions caused Merlin to flinch and jump, dropping his wand. One random bolt of artificial lightning struck Stitch, sending the alien flying back across the room with a screech, along with his huge bowl of food as well.

Terra was the only one prepared.

The brunette ducked under the table, avoiding the worst of the discharging electricity and wild appliances. When he looked back up, he saw the entire room in extreme disarray, he looked past the chaos and up at the discharging orb of lightning at the center of it all. Cobalt eyes narrowing, Terra stared right into the center of it…

The warrior wasn't surprised at all when he saw a familiar form glowing an electric yellow with antennas and big blue eyes, cackling away loudly.

Terra stood up, staring right at the creature.

"Good morning, 221. Enjoying your meal?"

The cackling alien abruptly jerked and froze where it floated. The creature turned slowly, still floating, surrounded by electricity, settling its' big blue eyes on Terra. Terra grinned. The alien seemed to pale.

A growl could be heard across the room.

Terra blinked, turning his gaze away from 221 and towards a small pile of crumbled and burnt furniture…

Where sitting crouched on all fours, large teeth bared, big black eyes narrowed, was Stitch.

Terra looked back at 221, his grin growing.

Terra, "Looks you interrupted Stitch's breakfast…He doesn't look too happy about it."

The blue furred alien let out a fierce snarl as he leapt right at the crackling ball of electricity and the pale alien inside it. The two small creatures collided and 221 was knocked out of the air, and the aliens rolled on the fur, growling and biting in Stitch's case and sputtering and discharging in 221's. Terra made a dash towards the grappling aliens, hoping to at least pin 221 down and let Stitch have a better crack at him-

But then the squat yellow experiment let out a loud screeching roar, at the same time discharging hundreds of bolts of electricity at Stitch. The blue experiment let out a cry of surprise more than pain as he was flung off, right into Terra's chest. The warrior let out a grunt as he was launched back into a wall.

221 floated back into the air, no longer surrounded by an orb of live electricity, though his legs had disappeared into a tail of blue lightning, sparks traveling between his antennas. He angrily looked around, blue eyes glancing at Merlin as the wizard collected his wand and righted his spectacles, then Cid, the ex-pilot just glaring right back, angrily biting down on his toothpick. Then it looked back at Terra and Stitch, and saw the two were still slumped against the wall, groaning, Terra rubbing the back of his head while Stitch shook himself, rubbing his head as well.

221 saw and took its' chance.

Letting out another cackle, the alien flashed, becoming a bolt of lightning that surged towards the wooden door, blowing it off of its' hinges. The living lightning bounced of the ground, propelling itself up towards the perimeter wall, and then flew off into the tunnel to the castle, the same area it escaped to the day before. Back inside Merlin's house, Terra and Stitch shot up, Terra getting back on his feet while Stitch jumped towards the door, clinging to the shattered edges, growling and sniffing the air. His ears perked up suddenly, big black eyes widening.

The alien looked back at Terra, the male already behind Stitch. Stitch barked, "Ig! Ig!" and jabbed a curved black claw towards the tunnel on the walkway above.

Terra followed Stitch's pointing, his cobalt eyes looking up at the walkway, remembering that had been where 221 had fled the day before.

Looking back at Stitch, Terra asked, "You know where he's going?"

Merlin and Cid both looked up at that, eyes wide.

Stitch nodded eagerly, teeth barred in a savage grin.

Terra returned the smile, just as savage, if not more terrifying.

"Then lead the way."

Merlin gasped while Cid just raised a brow in interest. Merlin waved his hand out, frantically moving towards Terra and Stitch while saying, "Wait, Terra-"

But the brunette and the blue furred alien were already out the doorway.

Merlin made it to the shattered door, and peered out into the alleys outside. He could only watch as Stitch jumped from the ground to the higher ledges, quickly making it up too the walkway above, while Terra seemed to dash and slide across the stone ground, smoothly and quickly clearing the way, before racing up the stairs and then jumping halfway up them and onto the walkway. Merlin's moustache drooped when he saw Terra and Stitch disappear into the tunnel passage after 221.

"Huh," Cid muttered behind Merlin, having calmly moved behind him to also observe Terra and Stitch chasing after 221, spitting out his chewed toothpick as he did.

"Leon's not going to be too happy 'bout this."

Merlin sighed, unable to argue with Cid about that.

The wizard and ex-pilot turned and walked back inside the cabin, Cid heading towards his ruined computer while Merlin stood near the living room, looking over the smashed furniture and appliances. The wizard looked dismally at the overturned table, smashed plates and bits of food and slobber littering the floor. Cid made a disgusted noise as he observed his computer, the monitor smashed, bits of glass covering the keyboard and wires hanging out, sparking occasionally. Cid, "Yep. Definitely not happy at all."

Merlin sighed again, before raising his arm up, flicking his wand once.

Pink and blue sparks of magic puffed out, and instantly a broom, mop, dustpan and bucket came too life along with a hammer, screwdriver and set of nails and screws.

The suddenly living items floated over to Merlin, lining up like a battalion. Merlin flicked his wand again and the items floated off to fulfill their duties of cleaning and repairing respectively. Cid meanwhile just sat back down in front of his ruined computer, glumly staring at the smashed monitor. Merlin looked at the mechanic, who returned his gaze, though he raised a brow. Merlin returned the gesture and raised his wand. Cid closed his eyes and shook his head, waving Merlin off.

Cid, "I'll just fix it m'self. Who knows what'll happen if I let your magic screw around with it any more." Merlin rolled his eyes, letting out a disgusted groan. "You've clearly seen that the problem is electrical and yet you still doubt my magic?"

Cid flicked a new toothpick between his lips. Cid, "Magic ain't science, cuz it can't be explained. I don't like what can't be explained. Means it can't be controlled."

Merlin proudly waved his wand around, discharging small pink sparks and a puff of blue smoke. Merlin, "Not true at all! As you can see I have complete-"

At that moment the animated bucket floated over Merlin and promptly dumped the dirty water it had gathered down on him.

Merlin's moustache and hat drooped, hiding his face. He mournfully spat out a small amount of water. Cid grinned from ear to ear. "Started out a good morning, went south into a bad one, now it's good again."

Merlin's only response was to flick his wand, causing the animated mop to float over Cid and twist its' dripping folds over his head, pouring more water on him.

Cid glared at Merlin behind his dripping hair and sagging goggles, spitting out his ruined toothpick while Merlin smirked at him this time.

"You're not funny. At all." Cid deadpanned.

Merlin just kept grinning, "To each their own."

With that the wizard returned to watching the animated house cleaning items do their jobs while Cid wrung out his goggles and popped a new toothpick in his mouth. The former pilot slipped his goggles back on once he was satisfied it was dry enough, and turned back towards his computer. He started to brush off the shattered monitor shards, while a dustpan caught them before they could hit the floor.

It was then Merlin blinked suddenly and looked up towards the ceiling. Merlin exclaimed, "Oh my!"

Cid cocked a brow, looking at the wizard and asking, "What now?"

Merlin looked back at Cid before responding, "I just realized that all that commotion must have disturbed fair maiden Aqua from her sleep."

Cid groaned, rubbing his eyes with his fingers.

"Great. Just what we need. A girly who hasn't gotten her eight hours."

* * *

_She was dreaming._

_But her dreams weren't consistent._

_They were vague, sounds of battle, crashes, explosions, lightning crackling._

_And through the haze of images and sounds, a pair of golden eyes rose above it all._

* * *

Sapphire gems blinked open, the waking maiden wincing when she looked right into a bright flash of light leaking through the curtains.

For a few seconds, Aqua just lay there; eye blinking slowly as sleep left her and gave way to waking. The water maiden saw she had shifted in her sleep and now faced the wall and window, explaining why she had woken up with such an intense glare in her face. Sitting up slowly wit ha soft moan, Aqua rubbed her eyes, wiping away the last bit of sleep.

She lowered her hand, looking around the room before she suddenly froze up, her eyes widening in realization.

She was still in Terra's room.

Aqua felt her face heat up, pale skin flushing a deep red. She looked around quickly, but just as quickly breathed a sigh of relief. Terra wasn't on the bed with her-

That thought made her go still.

Terra wasn't in the bed.

In fact he wasn't even in the room.

Aqua quickly looked around in all directions, her eyes going wide, flushed face paling.

He wasn't here.

He was gone.

_He was gone._

"Terra?" She gasped out hesitantly, her voice quiet, barely a whisper.

No response, of course.

The bluenette sat up from the bed, her feet brushing the soft carpet. Standing up, she looked around the room, her eyes quickly settling on the door. Taking a deep breath to calm her pounding heart, Aqua walked past the bed and towards the door, her mind racing.

Had he woken up before her? Then why hadn't he waked her? Why had he left? Or had those strangers, that committee, come up in the middle of the night or this morning and forced him up and out, intent on interrogating him?

That last thought made Aqua's hands clench into fists at her side.

They hadn't done anything wrong. They hadn't even asked to come to this place! And still they were being judged and persecuted.

_Why_, Aqua thought in anguish.

_Why can't we find any peace? Just a little happiness after all we've suffered, is that too much to ask?_

Her anger fueling her, Aqua opened the door, marched back to her room and quickly slipped her stockings over her legs, put her metal boots back on and reattached her sleeves to her arms. Satisfied slightly, though her anger was rising by the second at the thought of Terra being wrongfully accused while she had just slept away peacefully, Aqua marched down to the end of the hall, stopping once she reached the familiar podium she had seen yesterday. Stepping onto it, Aqua didn't have to wait long before she felt it lurch slightly, accompanied by a slight rush of air, barely noticeable, though Aqua also felt a slight burst of magic alongside it, though she paid it no mind, understanding the podium would have a magical residue or presence.

Aqua crossed her arms over her chest, Aqua waited impatiently as the podium began to slowly lower itself down to the living room of the house below, Aqua was ready to give the first person she saw a taste of her Keyblade-

That is, she was, until the podium lowered her down into the living room and she the state it was in.

Aqua felt her anger drop with her jaw when she saw all the smashed and broken furniture and the wooden door blasted of its hinges. Merlin stood by the flipped table, carefully avoiding the random pieces of broken plates, scattered utensils and foodstuffs; while a bunch of living mops and brooms, dustpans and buckets were cleaning it all up. The gruff man from yesterday who had told that jerk in leather to back off-Cid was his name-was sitting in front of his computer, which had a broken monitor, bits of glass littering his keyboard and the floor around him.

Aqua blinked, unable to move when the podium completed its' descent down into the living room. Her blue eyes looked over the apparent destruction, never realizing Merlin had noticed her arrival. The old wizard's eyes twinkled and his lips curled up into a smile.

Merlin, "Ah, miss Aqua! So good to see you're awake, though I hope the ruckus didn't disturb you too badly…"

He sheepishly looked back at the animated brooms as they swept up piles of broken wood. Cid scoffed from his chair, chewing his toothpick and moving it around a little as he did. "Anybody who could have slept through that is either deaf or in a coma…"

Merlin shot the former pilot a glare while Aqua hesitantly stepped off the podium, looking around as she did, eyes wide with disbelief. Her opened mouth closed once, then opened again as she started to ask-

"What happened in here?"

The normally bored, distant voice had picked up a gruff bark, but Aqua found her anger reigniting when she and Merlin turned towards the smashed door and saw the scarred face of the leather clad attacker from yesterday. It had been him who had voiced Aqua's question, his deep blue eyes wide with disbelief as he stepped further inside, his boots crunching as he stepped on a part of the shattered door. Behind him, a smaller figure peeked inside, chocolate orbs looking around curiously behind her black bangs.

"Whoaaaa…" Breathed Yuffie as she followed after Leon into the house. She didn't looking nearly as upset as Leon did. In fact, she smiled at the sight of the smashed up living room. Yuffie, "Wow, did a tornado blow through here or something?" Her tone was mildly impressed.

"A lightning bolt actually," replied Cid. When Yuffie gave him a strange look he just said, "Don't ask, I don't really understand it m'self."

Just then, Aerith wandered inside, a brown basket held in her right hand. Her green eyes gazed in amazement at the destroyed living room. Aerith, "Oh my…This isn't good at all…"

Cid brushed more broken glass off the keyboard, chuckling as he did. Cid, "You ain't whistlen' Dixie, Aerith…"

Leon meanwhile had stormed over to Merlin, careful to slip past the moving mops and brooms as he did, and stood in front of the wizard and Aqua, passing her a suspicious glance, which Aqua returned with a glare. Leon looked away from the blue haired woman and turned his attention to Merlin, scowling at the wizard as he asked, "Well? What happened here? Who did all this?"

Merlin adjusted his spectacles, coughing into his left hand before he began to speak. "Ahem, well, uh, you see shortly after young Terra woke up-"

Both Leon and Aqua looked sharply at Merlin when he said that.

"Wait, did he do this?" Leon accused, icy blue eyes narrowing.

Aqua snapped her head at Leon, sapphire eyes now cold gems brimming with fury. Aqua, "How dare you! Terra would never have done this!"

Leon narrowed his suspicious glare on Aqua, the two staring each other down, unwillingly to back off or surrender.

Yuffie sighed in annoyance, shooting Aqua a glare of her own. "Someone really needs to shut you up." The ninja said, twirling a small shuriken between her thumb and index finger. That same shuriken was suddenly plucked from her between her fingers by a more delicate hand.

Yuffie blinked, looking at her suddenly empty hand, then flustered, whirling around. Aerith stood behind her, frowning disapprovingly; holding the throwing star like it was something disgusting. Without another word, Aerith let it slip free from her fingers and into a floating trashcan by her leg, where it hit with a loud 'clang'. Yuffie blanched and then waved her arms out with a cry of "Ack!" as the waste bin began to float away. Aerith smiled, pleased, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched Yuffie chase after her shuriken.

The seemingly innocent flower girl turned to look at Leon and Aqua. The gunblade slinger had a stunned look, his mouth hanging open. Aqua looked just as surprised, but offered Aerith a thankful smile. The flower girl winked, returning the smile.

Leon quickly recovered, scowling at Aerith and was about to say something when Merlin suddenly spoke up.

"Miss Aqua is quite right, actually."

Leon blinked, caught off guard, and turned to look back at the wizened wizard.

Merlin went on. "You see, after young Terra awoke, I brought him and Stitch down for some breakfast. Shortly after, a strange creature emerged from Cid's computer."

Cid looked disdainfully at his sparking, ruined computer.

"I can vouch for that," He murmured glumly.

Merlin went on. "The ghastly thing was surrounded by electricity, controlling it even!"

Aerith blinked, forest orbs widening.

"Electricity…Lightning!" She exclaimed in understanding, looking back at Cid and smiling.

Unable to resist, Cid returned the grin, finding it impossible to be annoyed by Aerith.

Once more, Merlin continued, Leon listening intently.

"The creature gave off such a strong charge it threw everything around, without ever touching it, blasting poor Stitch from his chair and my wand from my hand! Terra was the only once quick enough to dodge it."

Merlin rubbed his long beard, combing through its' bushy folds. "Come to think of it, Terra seemed to what the creature was…He called it something. Stitch reacted similarly."

Leon looked thoughtful at that. Aqua didn't particularly like the look and said to Merlin, "What happened next?"

Merlin nodded, resuming his explanation. "Well, Terra and Stitch attempted to overpower the creature but it blasted them off of itself with the electricity around itself…"

Yuffie smirked at that.

No one paid her any mind and Merlin continued. "While Terra and Stitch were recovering, the abomination took its chance and escaped through the door while I was recovering my wand. Cid was likewise occupied."

The former pilot just kept replacing wires back into his computer.

Merlin finally finished his tale. "As soon as they could stand again, Terra and Stitch pursued after it into the city."

Leon's icy eyes widened, a gasp slipping past his lips. He moved towards Merlin, speaking urgently. Leon, "They chased it into the city? Merlin, you said this thing could generate and disrupt electricity?"

The old wizard nodded, righting his specs once again. Merlin, "Quite. A formidable creature despite its' size. Much like Stitch, actually…"

Merlin trailed off, looking thoughtful.

Leon didn't return the look. Instead, he seemed rather angry. The leather clad gunblade slinger turned, looking at Yuffie as he spoke, his tone commanding and deep. "Yuffie, stay here and make sure she," he jerked his head back towards Aqua, "Doesn't leave too. I'm going back out to find the other one and Stitch before they cause too much damage, or gods forbid, hurt someone."

Aqua's fury flared up once more as her sapphire eyes narrowed while Leon walked away from her and Merlin, moving towards the broken doorway. The water maiden immediately gave chase; calling after him, "How dare you! Terra and Stitch would never willingly put innocent lives in danger-"

Her infuriated rant stopped just as abruptly as it begun when a puff of smoke appeared between Aqua and Leon, a familiar black clad ninja girl smirking nastily at the Keyblade Mistress.

Yuffie, "Ohhh, no! You're not going anywhere, little miss attitude! You and your boyfriend aren't getting out of our sight until you explain some things!"

Aqua felt her cheeks heat up a little, both in a combination of growing anger and slight embarrassment. Her right hand flexed by her side, a single ethereal pink petal dancing between her fingers. The older girl glared down on the younger, her jaw grinding.

"Do you really think you could hold me here," Aqua asked in a dangerous whisper. "All by yourself?"

Another shuriken spun between Yuffie's fingers. Still smirking, the ninja girl retorted, "I did a pretty good job yesterday while you were crying over your boyfriend's little cuts and scrapes…"

That was it for Aqua, her eyes narrowing while her cheeks reddened once again, her hand clenching fiercely, pink petals swirling-

The tension was broken suddenly as Yuffie's second shuriken was once more plucked from between her fingers. Yuffie did a double take, while Aqua blinked, seeing the only other person aside from Merlin who actually didn't distrust her and Terra. The flower girl-Aerith- held the shuriken in her fingertips. She frowned down at Yuffie, the younger girl rubbing the back o her head and smiling sheepishly.

Rolling her eyes, Aerith tossed the lethal throwing star over her shoulder, crossing her arms and smiling pleasantly as it landed in a floating wastebasket alongside the first one. Yuffie's eyes widened and she let out another "Ack!" before she chased after the waste bin, calling after Aerith in a whiny tone, "Aerittttth, quit it! Those cost munny!"

Aqua allowed herself a small smile at the sight of the annoying girl chasing after her throwing stars, the waste bin floating higher, just out of Yuffie's grasping fingers. Aerith looked at Aqua, winking impishly. The flower girl then looked at Leon and said, "Leon, you can go ahead and take Yuffie with you. I'll stay here and watch Aqua."

Both gunblade slinger and Keyblade wielder blinked at Aerith, for different reasons however.

Leon walked forward, hand on his gunblade's hilt, while Yuffie continued to chase after the waste bin, waving her skinny arms frantically. Leon spared Aqua a slight glance. The water maiden just glared back at him.

Leon returned his gaze onto Aerith and said, "I'm not comfortable leaving you here alone with her. We still don't know who they are, or how they got here."

Aqua's glare morphed into a scowl. But Aerith only continued to smile pleasantly.

"I'll be fine. Plus," She looked at Cid, her hands folding behind her back as she smiled pleasantly at the ex-pilot, then at Merlin. "I have Cid and Merlin with me too."

Leon didn't return the smile, still frowning, unconvinced.

Then he let out a small huff, turned quickly and headed for the open doorway, calling to Yuffie as he did. "Yuffie, come one, let's go. You check the south side of the alleys; I'll look around the village market. They couldn't have gone far."

He made it too the door when he stopped, looking back over his shoulder. Leon hissed in annoyance when he saw Yuffie hopping up and down, hands scrabbling for the waste bin that held her shuriken. Rubbing his scar, fighting back a growing headache, Leon strode over, grabbed Yuffie by her collar, and dragged her out.

The ninja girl whined all the way out the door, bemoaning her lost throwing stars.

Aqua waited until hey were gone to turn towards Aerith, scowling, though not as harshly as she had at Leon. "I didn't need your help back there."

To her surprise, the flower girl continued to smile pleasantly, unhurt by Aqua's callousness. Aerith, "I know you could have…against one of them. But they both started to gang up on you and that wasn't fair. I jumped in because it was the right thing to do."

Aqua blinked, completely stunned by the kindness this girl radiated.

Aerith, still smiling, walked over towards the table, where her brown basket was. Aqua hesitantly followed after her, while Aerith rummaged through the basket quickly. She looked back at Aqua, still smiling. Aerith, "Would you like a snack? You must be famished."

Starving was more like it.

Aqua honestly couldn't remember the last solid meal she had since her entrapment in the Realm of Darkness. Time had moved so strangely there, and she still felt out of place. But when Aerith held up a delicious looking green apple, Aqua had to fight the urge to grab it and devour it on sight.

Nodding gratefully, Aqua accepted the apple with a, "Thank you," and sat down, taking a delicate bite out of it. She savored the juicy taste, trying to remember the last time she had tasted something so good. Aerith sat down next to her, holding another apple, which she bit into with a little more relish and continued to smile at Aqua, though neither woman spoke.

Meanwhile, Merlin had wandered over to Cid and his computer, the pilot having finally cleared off the last of the glance. He gave a thankful nod to the dustpan, which had swept up all the scattered shards. The dustpan returned the gesture and floated after a broom.

Cid cast Merlin a suspicious glance. "Hey, geezer."

Merlin made a noise of acknowledgment.

The mechanic chewed on his toothpick a moment, mulling over his words. Finally, he said, "You told Leon that kid and Stitch ran after ol' sparksalot into the city…" Cid grinned.

"But I could've swore that they chased after it into the outskirts along the wall."

Aqua blinked, looking over her shoulder and at the two older men, her expression unbelieving.

Merlin "Hmmm'd", adjusting his spectacles, before looking at Cid in confusion. "Did they now? My goodness, my memory must be going…" The old wizard's eyes twinkled. Cid let out a gruff laugh, shaking his head.

"You're alright, Merlin."

Aqua smiled at the two older men, her eyes closing as she breathed a soft sigh of relief.

She looked back at Aerith, and saw the flower girl shared Merlin and Cid's grins.

Aerith, "It's nice to have good friends, isn't it?"

Aqua didn't reply, but nodded, thankfully.

Now all she had to worry about was Terra and Stitch getting back safely.

* * *

Outside, leaning up against the wall next to the opened doorway, the darkly clad fighter listened intently, his presence unnoticed by all in the house. Glowing blue eyes opened, looking up towards the wall and the tunnel that led towards the castle and the kingdom outskirts. Gloved hand brushing aside a few blonde locks, Cloud reached back and gripped the hilt of his massive, bandaged blade.

Releasing his grip, he started towards the stairs, his gait unwavering.

* * *

While Stitch had 221's scent, the dark, electrical burns littering the sides of the walls and upper ceiling were a good trail. It led right over a stairway, leaping down into a small bailey below. Stitch skittered across the ground on all fours at lightning speed, Terra dashing after him, keeping good pace. The blue alien curled up and bounced, jumping over the ledge and into the bailey below. Terra slowed, but didn't stop, jumping down the stairs sides, taking a slightly longer route, but was next to Stitch in moments.

The furry koala looking creature was sitting by a large hole in the castle wall, where a gate had been hastily built over it. Said gate appeared to have been blasted off by a bolt of lightning, small sparks of blue electricity still crackling around the metal. Stitch hopped impatiently, big eyes wide as he barked, "Eh! Eh!" Terra calmly walked over, looking from the shattered gate then back to Stitch, who was jabbing a claw towards the cliffs ahead.

Terra looked at the rising mesas and deep valleys, all colored that strange bluish indigo. He looked back at Stitch and held his hand out, towards the valley. Terra, "Lead on, Stitch."

The alien grinned, big eyes brightening, then narrowing in anticipation. He promptly curled into a small ball of fur and bounced through the shattered gate, rolling quickly down the series of jagged slopes. Terra allowed himself a small smile before dashing after the alien.

Soon the two were in a small ruined courtyard. Terra paused, looking around for a moment, while Stitch bounced up and down by the shattered steps that gave way to a cliff side path, calling at Terra in his native language. Stitch, "Maka maka! Id you fabba!"

Terra looked at Stitch, waving his hand out. Terra, "Alright, alright, sorry! Got sidetracked." Stitch scowled but leapt away once Terra got close enough, Terra dashing after.

The two resumed their chase down the cliff side, Terra following after Stitch as the alien led the way. Terra felt like the walls of the cliffs were closing in closer and closer. Thank gods he wasn't claustrophobic.

The twisting, winding path through the cliffs came to an abrupt end as they reached a large cliff side. The only way to keep going forward was through a large crevasse in the side of the wall. Terra noted the irony of his earlier thought.

Stitch scurried ahead, stopping in front of the crevasse and looking back at Terra, big eyes shining. Stitch, "Eh." Terra followed after the blue furball, looking from the little alien to the open crack in the wall. Terra, "He went through there?"

Stitch nodded. "Yea! Yea! Kanjijibe! Zz-zz!"

Terra didn't share Stitch's enthusiasm. Something wasn't right. The first time he had encountered 221, the creature had two electrical blasters to back it up, and yesterday it had been feeding off the electricity from that crane…

So why in the world would it have fled all the way out here, in the badlands, where no electrical appliances were? Terra rubbed his jaw in thought. Stitch however, impatiently paced back and forth in front of Terra, growling lowly. When Terra didn't come to a conclusion fast enough, the alien experiment lunged forward and took a healthy chomp out of Terra's boot.

Terra's eyes bugged out and he yelped, "GAH!" waving his leg around and trying to shake off the suddenly rabid alien. Stitch however, would just not let go, even when Terra smashed him against the rocky wall. Terra hopped on one leg, howling in pain as Stitch bit into him through the leather of his boot.

Finally, after falling over onto his backside, Terra managed to dislodge Stitch by ripping him off with both hands. The furball snarled and snapped his teeth at Terra, ranting in his native tongue. Terra stared back in bemusement.

"Ok, you know I don't speak…whatever that is. What did you say?"

Stitch growled, baring his teeth. Then he barked out, "Take too long! Cousin won't wait!" Terra's eyes widened in realization.

"Ohhh, you were getting impatient." Stitch nodded eagerly, jerking his head towards the crevasse. Terra stood up, putting Stitch down and looking at the large crack. He looked back at the alien, speaking gravely. "We can't just rush in, Stitch. Doesn't it seem a little odd your…'cousin', would lead us all the way out here?"

Stitch didn't reply, coherently, anyway. Instead he just growled and barked in that strange language of his. Terra sighed, rubbing the back of his head.

"Fine," he relented. Waving his hand towards the crack, he said, "Lead on."

Stitch grinned toothily from ear to ear in triumph. Head held high, Stitch scuttled ahead, Terra following, though very reluctantly.

Stitch easily crawled through the crevasse, while Terra had a bit of a harder time, the crack in the wall easily as high as he was tall, though not as wide. Terra cursed his new physique. Bigger muscles and extra height were nice, but not as appealing once one found them self trying to squeeze through a thinner space. Somehow or other, the earthen warrior managed to squeeze through, brushing little bits of dust off himself as he did. He started forward, waiting for his eyes to adjust-

But then Terra blinked, finding his breath suddenly escaping him.

The cave wasn't dark at all like he was expecting. Instead, multiple glowing crystals were growing from the walls, illuminating the dark walls with faint white light and spots of sparkling emerald.

Terra stepped further in, taking in the wondrous sight, Stitch scuttling ahead of him, sniffing around. The blue alien took in one heavy sniff, nostrils flaring. Then he bared his teeth once more, growling as his ears stood up, eyes narrowed. Terra snapped out of his daze, looking down at Stitch, before following the alien's gaze.

Up ahead, right by a much larger series of jagged glowing crystals growing out of the wall, was a familiar squat, yellow alien shaped similarly to Stitch, only with two long antennas growing from the top of its' head, big blue eyes narrowed and square teeth bared as well as 221 returned Stitch's feelings in kind.

Terra narrowed his eyes at the yellow alien, noting it's legs had vanished into a swishing tail of yellow lightning that usually appeared whenever it flew away, though now it lay on the ground. Terra stepped forward, flexing his right hand, joints popping. Terra, "No where left to run. And no electricity to power you up."

To Terra and Stitch's joint surprise, 221's snarl turned into a sneer. Its' antennas perked up, spirals of crackling electricity rising around them in several cycles. The alien rose into the air, cackling away, that sphere of lightning surrounding it. Terra tensed up, while Stitch crouched down, haunches raised, teeth bared back even farther.

But what happened next neither saw coming.

221 let out a loud, distorted screech, its' whole body flashing, turning bright white, the electricity around it flaring up even more. Multiple streams struck the tips of several crystals, and shockingly (No pun intended), the crystals seemed to _absorb_ the electricity, storing it all inside themselves. 221 disappeared; leaving only the crystals it had been floating by, which were glowing more fiercely than before.

Terra and Stitch blinked, exchanging glances, while the crystals began to flash even brighter in shorter intervals. Terra shrugged, his right hand settling on his hip. "Okaaay…What was that all abou-"

The crystals flashed their brightest, then discharged dozens of golden bolts of artificial lightning, each bolt connecting with another crystal on the wall, forming an inescapable net of lightning charged with 100,000 volts. With Terra and Stitch caught right in the middle. The warrior and alien screamed in pain beyond imagination, their bodies lighting up like the crystals and 221 had.

Just as quickly, the net of torture faded away, the lightning gathering in the largest crystal jutting down from the ceiling above. Terra and Stitch collapsed, bodies twitching, small sparks crackling over their prone forms, while above, the yellow lightning gathered at the crystal tip, quickly reforming into 221, who grinned from ear to ear at the sight of the two collapsed on the floor, writhing in agony. Cackling louder than ever, the creature turned into a stream of electricity, traveling into one crystal, discharging into a single beam of lightning, and into another, both crystals flashing brightly when the beam connected.

Stitch recovered first, shaking his furry head, ears limp and flopping. The furball looked up, watching the beam of lightning shoot from one crystal to another. Growling, eyes narrowing, Stitch reached behind his back and pulled out two small green blasters. Aiming his right one at one crystal, the another, and another. Stitch followed the jumping beam with his weapon and eyes.

Then, seeing his chance, Stitch fired once, a green blob of plasma shooting towards a crystal the beam had just connected to.

The glowing rock shattered, and the beam reformed into 221. The crackling yellow alien gasped and the looked down on Stitch, growling, blue eyes flashing. The blue alien returned the growl, before letting out a gargled snarl and opened fire, shooting both blasters at rapid fire pace. 221 one let out a screech, dodging the blasts and retaliating with surges of electricity from its' antennas. Stitch dodged those as well, performing a series of cartwheels and back flips, moving away from the still shaking Terra as he did.

Stitch kept shooting at 221, jumping onto the jutting crystals as he did, while the crackling alien continued to rain bolts of lightning down on him. Finally, Stitch was high enough and close enough to where he could jump and tackle into 221. Both aliens snarled, bit and clawed at each other as they tumbled down onto the floor below, rolling as they did.

With a weak groan, Terra forced his trembling form onto his hands and knees, shaking his head and dark locks away from his face. He heard the spitting growls and sounds of scuffling, looking up, cobalt eyes widening when he saw Stitch and 221 in the middle of a brawl. Rising onto his knees, Terra grit his jaw down as he watched the aliens scuffle.

Raising his right arm up, slowly extending it out, Terra flexed his fingers before rapidly swinging his arm out, sparks of light traveling down his arm and forming into a series of swirling blue and gold cubes that swirled out from his hand-

And promptly fizzled out like it had yesterday.

Terra gasped, eyes widening as he stared at his empty hand in shock. He shook his hand fiercely, trying to call his Keyblade. To no avail. Terra cursed. "Come on! Why isn't this working?"

Forcing himself back up, Terra looked at his empty hand one last time before looking back over at the scrapping aliens. Keyblade or no Keyblade, he couldn't let Stitch fight that thing alone. Fists at his sides and ready, Terra charged forward, not knowing what he was going to do, but knowing he had to do something-

With a fierce buzzing snarl, 221's whole form became alive with lightning, blasting Stitch off itself and right into Terra, sending both flying back and onto the floor. Terra hit the rocky ground hard, sliding back a little, making him groan. Stitch was a little better off, thanks to Terra being his unwilling cushion. The earth fighter let out a groan, which turned into a sharp cry of pain as Stitch shifted on his chest. The furball shook his head, rubbing his forehead before realizing where he was. Terra glared at the blue alien, while Stitch just chuckled thickly, rubbing the back of his head.

Stitch, "My bad."

Terra rolled his eyes and sat up, his sudden shifting causing Stitch to roll off of him. The blue furball quickly righted himself, growling at his yellow foe, eyes narrowed and blasters at the ready. Terra was still crouched slightly behind Stitch, and even though he was weaponless, he was more than ready to help him out. 221 growled at the two, antennas crackling with blue streams, eyes glowing.

Stitch growled fiercely before barking out, "Ikata! Meegota da reeb!"

221 snarled before suddenly casting Stitch a sly grin. 221, "Meega nala kweesta!"

Stitch gasped, eyes widening, ears standing on end. Terra just looked between the two, very confused. "Um…what did he say?"

Stitch looked back up at him, dryly replying, "You don't wanna know."

Terra gave him a confused look, but then shrugged, deciding to take Stitch's word (Even if he couldn't understand it).

The two looked back at 221 as the creature let out another buzzing cackle. The yellow alien rose into the air, glowing brightly as its' whole body became surrounded by lightning. Both Terra and Stitch's eyes widened. "Oh, no…" They both whispered as 221 let out that distorted screech and it's form erupted into hundreds of crackling bolts of lightning that were absorbed by the crystals. Terra gasped, eyes widening as he looked down at Stitch and shouted, "Brace yourself!"

Stitch tried to curl up into a ball while Terra crouched as low as he could-

But this tactic helped as hundreds of bolts of lightning erupted from the crystals, forming an inescapable net that struck the two. Terra and Stitch couldn't even scream again this time, their whole bodies becoming conduits for sheer, raw, pain. It lasted about as long as the first time, but the power in the volts had been upped from the last blast, almost twice as much, each bolt striking a nerve ending. When it finally ended, Terra and Stitch collapsed, twitching weakly.

Terra's cloak was smoking and charred, burnt badly. Stitch's blue fur was darkened considerably, his small form twitching spastically. 221 reformed, floating above the jerking warrior and alien, cackling away, sneering down on the two.

Terra jerked painfully, crackles and sparks traveling over his body. He rolled onto his side, his cobalt eyes falling on Stitch. Terra's eyes widened when he saw Stitch's little body spasming in terrible seizures. Unable to get his mouth to work, Terra could only stare in pained silence, while above him, 221 cackled away. Turning his gaze up towards the cackling experiment, his gaze narrowed in fury.

Still sneering down on Terra, 221 rose back up into the air, its' body glowing, becoming surrounded by a sphere of pure lightning. The crystals began to glow as well, absorbing the streams randomly firing off, resonating with 221 as it prepared its' final attack, no doubt its' strongest. And all Terra and Stitch could do was lay there, stunned and paralyzed.

The dark haired warrior glared up at 221, mentally cursing at himself for his weakness, even cursing that his Keyblade refused to appear for him. His fist shook, golden sparks crackling around his tightly closed fingers. When 221 let out another screeching, buzzing cackle, Terra's eyes widened with unbridled fury, flecks of gold appearing in their cobalt depths. His shaking fist struck the rocky ground-

And cracks appeared through the ground, quickly traveling up the walls and ceilings. Wherever they spread, the ground cracked open, the crystals cracked, loosing their luminescent glow, and the lightning they contained burst free, striking back at their source: 221.

The yellow alien became visible once more, letting out a confused screech as shards of crystals rained down on it, which it attempted to avoid as best as it could. Which wasn't good enough as a particularly large shard slammed down onto its' back. 221 let out a screech of fright, its' natural electrical aura absorbed by the falling shard, causing it to fall all the way back to the ground below. Terra saw it struggling to escape from under the shard.

And he realized it was powerless for the moment.

Forcing his agonized body to its' feet, Terra glared at the fallen 221, his eyes flashing with small spots of gold in their dark blue depths. Golden sparks of magic continued to crackle around his hand. A familiar spell rolled off his lips, one of Terra's favorites.

"_Quake_."

The golden sparks of magic traveled down to the tip of his boot, and Terra raised his foot, gently tapping the ground once. Golden cracks appeared, traveling from the spot Terra had tapped and towards the trapped 221. Where the cracks that had appeared earlier were smaller, these grew in width the farther they spread, until when they finally reached 221, the golden cracks erupted into three jagged pillars of crystalline earth, striking 221 with all the force of an earthquake. The small alien was knocked into the air with a pained screech, freed from the crystal shard, but at a painful cost.

The electrical experiment flew backwards, hitting the wall and then bouncing back onto the floor.

As soon as the magic died down and the ground collapsed back into itself, Terra gasped, the golden spots in his eyes fading as he suddenly felt utterly drained. He stumbled forward, hunched over, but stopped himself from collapsing entirely. For a moment, Terra wondered what in all the worlds had happened.

Then it hit him.

_Magic,_ he thought in realization. _I can still use magic._

He looked at his right hand, clenching it slowly, finding he barely had the strength to do so. _Perhaps a bit too much though,_ he thought weakly. He had never been a fan of magic.

Sparking crackles suddenly filled the small space of the cave, and Terra slowly looked up, seeing 221, floating back in the air, blue eyes narrowed and glowing, antennas crackling, square teeth bared. Terra panted weakly, unable to do anything then stand there, sweat running down his brow. He waved his hand invitingly. "Well, come on. I'm about to keel over anyway."

221 hissed, its' electrical aura flaring up before it lunged forward, jaws parted in a howl, little claws extended out-

Only to be intercepted by a leaping blue blur that released a vicious snarl as the blue and yellow aliens fell to the floor, claws scratching, teeth gnashing and biting, feet kicking, sparks flying and blasters firing. Terra breathed a sigh of relief for Stitch's timely save. He allowed himself to close to his eyes, taking several deep breaths while the two aliens scrapped, tearing into each other fiercely.

But just as quickly as it begun, it came to abrupt and fast end as Stitch grabbed 221 by his sparking tail and tossed it into a pile of broken, jagged crystal fragments. The electrical experiment lay sprawled out covered in and surrounded by shards, when it let out a weak, buzzing groan, which morphed into a defeated whimper.

Stitch stood victorious over his enemy, teeth bared, ears flat, eyes narrowed. But upon hearing 221 let out that whimper, the blue furball's entire demeanor shifted. His ears drooped, and his eyes fell. Stitch let out a small, sad moan, scuttling towards 221. Terra watched, puzzled.

But as soon as Stitch reached the fallen yellow alien, the creature's body flashed, turning a bright shade of yellow mixed with green, a strange hum emitting from the glow. The flash brightened considerably, forcing Terra to avert his eyes while Stitch covered his with his ears. When the glow and the hum died down, Terra hazarded a look. He blinked, opening both eyes.

221 was gone.

The pile of crystal shards was still there, smoking and crackling, but the squat, yellow alien was no longer lying in the center of them.

Terra took a few steps forward, very confused as he looked around the once beautiful cave for any sign of the cackling, electrical experiment. Stitch, meanwhile, recovered and started to sift through the shards littering the ground, sniffing occasionally as he did. He stopped suddenly, ears perking up. His small claws pushed through the shards, brushing them aside for something Terra couldn't see.

When Stitch sat back, Terra saw something held in his claws. As Stitch studied the item, his ears drooped even lower, and the once hyperactive furball let out a small, sad whimper, much like 221's. "Cousin…"Stitch mumbled sadly.

Terra walked over to the sitting alien, bending down by him. When Terra saw what he was holding, he felt his own expression droop in sadness at what he saw. Clutched between his claws, Stitch held a small green/yellow orb with the numbers '221' embedded on its' surface.

_That's right,_ Terra thought.

He remembered back, all those years ago, to when he had been on that massive space ship, the same place he had first encountered Stitch, 221 and the Doctor who had claimed to have created them. The Doctor, in his bid to show Terra the power of his creations, had unleashed 221 on him.

The then Keyblade wielding apprentice had fought the experiment head to head and emerged victorious. 221 had turned back into that same sphere Stitch now held, the Doctor bemoaning his poor creation. Evidently poor Stitch felt the same, but for different reasons.

The furball held the sphere, examining it sadly. "Cousin…"he whimpered again, clutching the orb tightly.

_Cousin?_ Terra wondered. He understood a split second later. Stitch's 'real' name was Experiment 626. 221 was one of the earlier experiments before him. So, in a way…

They were family.

Terra cast Stitch a sad look.

Sighing deeply, Terra reached out, stroking the top of Stitch's head.

"Stitch…I know how you feel right now."

The saddened blue furball didn't look up at Terra, only continuing to stare at the little sphere in melancholy.

Terra stroked Stitch's fur again, before he spoke up. Terra, "But…he's not gone."

Stitch blinked, his ears perking up as he turned to look up at Terra, big eyes wide with disbelief. Terra nodded, smiling. Terra, "The first time I met your…cousin, he was like that." Stitch leaned closer, eager to hear more.

Terra carefully plucked the sphere from between Stitch's claws. For a second the blue alien looked like he was about to panic but Terra smiled reassuringly. He held the sphere up, displaying the numbers on it. Terra, "All it takes is a few drops of water," Stitch made a face at that, sticking his tongue out at the mention of water. Terra chuckled at the look, but continued.

"And 221 will be back to his old sparking self."

Stitch's eyes lit up and he squealed happily, barreling into Terra for a fierce hug. The dark haired warrior laughed despite himself (And despite the pressure Stitch was putting on his still tender ribs) and wrapped his left arm around the smaller alien. Stitch looked up at Terra, smiling happily at him. "Stitch get to see cousin again?"

Terra nodded, smiling back at him, his spirits lifted by the furballs infectious happiness. Letting him go, Terra rose back up, still holding the small sphere that had been 221. Terra, "As soon as we get back to Merlin's house, I'll sprinkle a little water on him." Stitch stuck his tongue out at that once again, but grinned happily.

Terra smiled at the alien. He looked back at the sphere in his hand, his smile vanishing slowly. His cobalt eyes darkened as Terra felt old memories surface.

221 could come back with just a few drops of water…

But the only man who had ever been a father to him was never coming back.

Terra's eyes closed, and he sighed deeply, his fist closing over the sphere.

Stitch looked up at Terra, head and ear cocked quizzically. "Terra?" He asked.

The inquiring alien snapped Terra out of his depressing thoughts. His eyes brightened as he looked down on the blue furball. Smiling, putting aside his dark memories, Terra said, "Come on. Let's head back."

Stitch perked up considerably, and Terra knew if the alien had a tail, it would be wagging. Stitch, "Yea! Yea!"

Chuckling, Terra started to move towards the cracked exit in the wall, Stitch scuttling ahead at a much faster pace, eager to get back to town and even more eager to see his cousin restored. Terra kept after the alien, taking long strides to keep pace-

Bt then he stopped, his face falling into a frown. He felt something...

He turned, looking back at the end of the cave when the feeling perked up again. Stitch was just about to scuttle through the crack when he noticed Terra was no longer by him. Blinking and uttering "Eh?" Stitch looked back and saw Terra moving towards the opposite end of the cave.

"Terra?" The little blue alien called. The earthen warrior absently called back, "Just a second, Stitch…" Terra found himself drawn all the way to the back of the cave, where a much larger hole was, revealing a vast empty field, though more of a maw, ahead.

Terra's eyes narrowed, an uncertain frown appearing on his lips.

He took a single step out of the cave and into the empty field-

And promptly fell to his knees, clutching at his head as fire erupted inside his skull, intense agony throbbing behind his eyes, forcing them shut. Terra let out a pained cry, alerting Stitch to his situation. Stitch gasped, "Terra!" and burst down the cave, towards his friend.

Terra clutched at his aching head, the burning sensation behind his eyes growing worse by the second.

He was-

_-standing atop the highest cliff overlooking the great maw. He felt the clinging shadows dissipate quickly, the Corridor vanishing in moments. His view was slightly obscured by the darkness inside his cloak's hood._

_Raising his right hand, he brushed it back, no longer concerned with the concealing of his identity here._

_An identity he had abandoned._

_His burning eyes narrowed in pleasure at the sight of the marching legions of the Heartless as they advanced onwards._

_For his former home._

_He started to move to call another Corridor, when he felt multiple gazes on him._

_Amused, he turned, looking back down in the maw._

_He spotted several people staring up at him._

_The meddlesome king, who proved to more of a hindrance than an asset, even with his key…_

_And his two lackeys, the cowardly captain of the guard, and the quacking head mage…_

_And with them as always…_

_The 'chosen one'._

_He grinned savagely._

_What a fool…_

-Terra gasped, his eyes snapping open as the pain vanished just as quickly as it had appeared. Stitch let out a frightened yelp, jumping back a little while Terra took in several deep breaths. The darkly clad warrior closed his eyes, urging his racing heart to calm. When he opened his eyes, he found them drawn to the highest cliff in the empty field.

Stitch wringed his claws nervously, hesitantly stepping towards Terra, big eyes concerned. "Terra?" the little furball asked hesitantly.

Said earthen warrior looked at the blue alien, grinning, just a bit forcefully like he had yesterday with Aqua.

"Don't worry, Stitch. I'm fine. Just…" He looked at the…maw, one last time, then back at Stitch. "A headache. Just a headache."

Stitch didn't look convinced at all, much like Aqua hadn't. But he nodded, his ears drooping a little. Terra smiled reassuringly, patting Stitch's head before he stood back up, collecting 221's sphere as he did. Still smiling, Terra motioned his head towards the opposite end of the cave. "Let's go, huh?"

Stitch brightened at that, eagerly scuttling ahead for the exit. His mood lifted by Stitch's antics, Terra followed after, passing a shattered crystal as he did-

He froze on the spot, eyes widening in terror. He rounded on the cracked shard, praying he hadn't-

He let out a breathy sigh, his heart once more racing. He leaned against the wall on one arm, eyes closing. He was thanking the gods it had just been a trick of the light, or his eyes, or both. For a moment, he thought he had seen-

"Terra?" Stitch's call echoed off the close walls.

Terra's eyes snapped open and he straightened up. "Sorry, Stitch. I'm coming." He followed after his furry friend, hesitating briefly, but managing to resist the urge to look back at the shattered crystal. Terra fought off the haunting image he had seen in their broken surfaces.

But it was hard to ignore the sight of those burning gold eyes and sneering grin.

Especially when it was his own face with those terrible features.

* * *

Intense blue eyes gazed down from the cliff tops, their owner having observed everything from inside the cave. But he had chosen not to interfere. Fighting someone else's battle was not something he liked.

When Terra and Stitch had exited the cave, weary and wounded, but still standing and heading back for the village, Cloud found his eyes narrowing in approval. It seems Terra was more than capable after all. Nodding to himself, Cloud started to move for the next cliff top, hoping to silently follow them back into town without giving away his presence-

The dark warrior stopped, his eyes widening, right hand shooting towards his sword's hilt in the same instant he whirled around-

And confront nothing but empty air.

Cloud scanned the cliff top, his hand unmoving from his grip on his blade. Then he turned and moved on, slightly faster than he had originally intended, but still managed to keep his presence hidden.

While behind him…

A single black feather slowly, gently, swayed down to the ground.

* * *

Merlin and Cid continued to go about fixing their areas of the cabin, and had made a lot of headway in the few hours between Leon's departure after Terra and Stitch.

Aqua and Aerith hadn't said much after finishing their apples. They sat at the table in an awkward silence. Well, awkward for Aqua, while Aerith just smiled patiently, hands held in front of her as she moved her gaze from Merlin and his living appliances, to Cid attempting to replace his smashed monitor, listening to his curses whenever he shifted and a wire came loose.

Merlin would just roll his eyes and sigh loudly, twitching his wand to make his animated items bother Cid for a moment. The former pilot would retort by tossing a toothpick. A used one at that.

Aqua sat at the table, her hands clutching at her chair's sides. She was very nervous. Aqua had never done well talking to multiple new people at once. While she knew Merlin, both Cid and Aerith, while friendly she still had no idea what to say to either, or even how to start a conversation.

Aqua closed her eyes, rubbing her brow.

She hoped Terra was alright…

That was another thing.

Her mind kept going back to thoughts of Terra…

And he had run off at the first chance he had gotten.

She wanted to be angry she really did. After all, he had been nearly killed yesterday, and here he was, rushing off into danger against something that could apparently control lightning…

But all the anger kept cooling into deep concern, worry.

It was almost ridiculous. Terra was more than capable of taking care of himself. But…

Still she was worried for him.

But what was confusing…

This worry and concern didn't feel like the once normal worries she had for Terra as a friend…

But something deeper.

Aqua blinked, looking up suddenly when she heard Aerith say something.

"…you like it?"

Aqua stared at the healer, looking confused. "I'm sorry?"

Aerith pleasantly repeated her question. "I asked if you liked the apple."

Aqua blinked, then smiled, nodding. "Oh, yes. It was the best I've had in a long time."

Aerith's smile brightened. "I'm so glad you liked it. Did you sleep well?"

Aqua nodded, brushing her blue locks from her face nervously.

Aerith went on. "Did Terra too?"

Aqua froze at that. Up till then she had forgotten about…that.

But Aerith successfully brought it right back to surface. And Aqua could have sworn she saw that mischievous look in her green eyes and smile from before. Aqua tried to keep her cheeks from heating up, though she wasn't succeeding.

Could she know? But how?

Aqua cleared her throat, shrugging. "I don't know…he wasn't here when I woke up, so I couldn't ask him."

She noted the slight anger in her tone…Though it was more close to worry, actually.

Aerith nodded, suddenly looking away, her expression regretful. She looked back at Aqua, green eyes troubled.

"You're worried about him, aren't you?"

Aqua saw no point in denying it, and she nodded, closing her sapphire eyes briefly.

And then she found herself speaking suddenly. "It's just…he was so hurt yesterday…and then he just goes and runs off, not healed for a complete day, or even bothering to really rest." She rubbed her eyes, brushing her hair again.

The water maiden looked back at the flower girl, her expression suddenly vulnerable.

Aqua, "Aerith…I…I just want to say thank you again…for helping Terra."

The healer waved Aqua off, but not offhandedly. She seemed almost humble or even casual about it. Aerith, "You don't have to. It's my duty, you see. I help those in need, and you both looked in dire need of help. Not just because of your friends' injuries."

Aerith's grass green eyes met with Aqua's watery blues.

Aerith, "I'm just glad I could help you in time. I don't want your thanks…" She smiled cheerily. "The chance to be your friend would be nice, though."

Despite herself, Aqua found herself smiling back. They settled back into silence for a few moments. Then Aqua looked back at Aerith, her gaze much more hesitant this time.

Aqua, "Aerith…"

The flower girl met Aqua's gaze easily, still smiling.

Aqua looked for a moment, thinking over her words carefully. When she thought she had found the right ones, she looked back at Aerith, and asked, "Is…is this world…"

Aerith seemed to know what she was going to ask but her smile and gaze did not waver.

Aqua finally managed to finish, "Is this really Radiant Garden?"

Both Cid and Merlin stilled for a moment, glancing back at the two women sitting at the table.

Aerith's smile fell, becoming sad. She nodded, closing her eyes. Aerith, "Yes. This is the once fabled city of light, Radiant Garden. Or, more accurately, it's remains."

Aqua stared in shock at the healer, her eyes wide, mouth agape in disbelief. Cid and Merlin exchanged melancholy stares before resuming their tasks, though even less enthusiastic than before.

Aqua looked extremely apologetic at Aerith, speaking quickly. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have asked, it's none of my business-"

Aerith interrupted her. "Oh, it's alright. You were just curious. I'm not upset, it was so long ago I hardly think about it anymore."

She smiled, though Aqua could still see sadness in her expression.

"It was a horrible thing…" Her head shifted, her look becoming hopeful. "But were striving forward. Rebuilding, one day at a time."

She looked around the living room, watching various items be put back in their place, broken debris swept up. Aerith looked back at Aqua, her green eyes brighter than before.

"And one day, we will be worthy of being called the city of light again."

Both Cid and Merlin secretly smiled too themselves, but didn't look at the women this time.

Aqua blinked, amazed by this unassuming young woman across from her.

Aerith leaned forward a little. "There aren't many of us, but with Leon leading, and Cid's smarts, we've come so far in such a short time."

Cid suddenly spoke up. "You give me too much credit girly. My 'smarts' could've gotten us killed a dozen times over. Heck, could've torn this whole world into even smaller chunks than it already is."

Aqua spared Cid an odd glance, but he elaborated no further. So she looked back at Aerith, her expression unconvinced. Aqua, "Leon is your leader?"

Aerith nodded. "I know he hasn't shown his good side with you or your friend…" She sighed, her smile actually disappearing. "But he's been under a lot of stress lately. And our other friends aren't around as much as we need them." Aerith looked back at Aqua.

"I won't ask you to forgive him right now, but please try to understand that he really is a good person under that scowl." She paused, then grinned cheekily. "And leather."

Despite herself, Aqua smirked back. "Don't forget his belts." She added and both girls shared a light laugh.

Cid groaned under his breath as Merlin passed him. "Oh, lord. They're gossiping."

Merlin just rolled his eyes. The wizard started to follow after a broom and pan but paused, looking towards the open doorway. It was then a voice called, "Merlin? We're back, I found 221…"

Aqua gasped, instantly recognizing the voice. She whirled around in her seat, watching Terra step through the doorway, Stitch by his legs. Terra was looking around the room, no doubt for Merlin-

But his cobalt gaze met with Aqua's watery sapphires, and he froze where he stood, eyes going wide.

There was a tense silence, not unnoticed by the three other people in the room.

It was Terra who broke it.

"Ah-Aqua….you're up." Stitch was a little more excited, his ears flaring up, big eyes brightening as he cried, "Ah-koo, wah!" The blue furball scampered over to the water maiden, happily encircling her legs. Aqua smiled, amused by the supposed 'ultimate weapon's' antics. She petted his head, and Stitch purred in delight. Aerith covered her mouth to stifle her giggles while Terra watched equally amused. But he didn't follow after the alien, just standing by the doorway.

Cid chuckled dryly under his breath. "Smooth-Ow!" Merlin flicked the tip of his wand on the top of the pilot's head. Cid rubbed his offended scalp, glaring at Merlin. "I'm gettin' sick of you."

Their banter went unnoticed by Terra, Aqua, Aerith and Stitch, said alien just looking from Aqua to Terra. Finally Aqua stood up, moving pass her chair, Stitch following. Aqua gave Terra an annoyed glance. Aqua, "That's it? You leave, chasing after something that can shoot lightning from what I hear, and you just leave me, without so much waking me up?"

Cid chuckled again, a little louder this time. Once more, he received a whack from Merlin's wand. Rubbing his bruised noggin, Cid growled, "I'm going to snap that thing in two." Merlin glared back, but didn't bother with a retort.

Terra felt his face flush a little. He shifted his feet a little. Under normal circumstances Terra would've easily been able to come up with a retort…

But now when he looked at Aqua now…

All he could see was her, peacefully lying next to him, the sunlight glowing on her skin…

Making her look like an angel.

Terra cleared his throat, looking away a little, rolling 221's sphere between his fingers.

Terra, "I…I just…didn't want to wake you up. You looked like you really needed the rest."

Aqua blinked, caught off guard by his answer, her cheeks heating a little. She brushed her locks, realizing she was quickly developing a nervous habit. This did not go unnoticed by the other four occupants in the room.

Stitch cackled a little, down by Aqua's legs. This earned twin glares from the earth warrior and water maiden. Stitch 'eeped' and scuttled away by Aerith, hiding behind her dress. The flower girl just giggled, petting the top of Stitch's head to sooth him. Aerith looked back at Terra and Aqua, smiling pleasantly, settling her gaze on Terra.

Aerith, "So did you find the lightning?'

Terra blinked, Aqua looking equally confused. Then Terra blinked again, suddenly realizing. Terra, "Oh! Yeah, I did, he's right here." Terra held up the small green and yellow sphere, the numbers in clear view. Everyone stared at the sphere in confusion, Aqua perhaps especially.

"No way!"

Well, perhaps not.

A puff of smoke appeared between Terra and Aqua forcing them to step back in surprise as Yuffie appeared, staring at the sphere incredulously. She pointed at it with her right hand. Yuffie, "_That's_ what did all this? Uh-huh! No way! I refuse to believe that!"

Both Terra and Aqua glared at the loud mouth ninja girl, Terra opening his mouth to say something-

And was interrupted by a cold, but slightly familiar voice.

"There you are."

Terra found his right hand clench into a fist over the sphere, his cobalt eyes narrowing in their corners as he looked towards the sound of the voice.

Leon stood outside the doorway, hand on his sheathed gunblade by his right hip. The leather bound gunblade slinger met Terra's glare evenly and held his own easily. He slowly walked over towards him, Yuffie moving out of his way, smirking in amusement at the two older males while Aqua shared Terra's sentiments and glared at him as well. Leon held Terra's glare for another moment. Then he looked down at his clenched fist for a second before looking over at Merlin. Leon, "Merlin, he and Stitch weren't anywhere in the village, and no one saw any creature generating electricity."

Yuffie sauntered in front of Leon, hands on her hips, chocolate eyes narrowed in a scowl. Yuffie, "So in other words…you lied to us."

Merlin nervously adjusted his spectacles. Merlin, "Did I? I don't think so, I could've sworn that's the direction they went in."

Terra blinked, looking at Aqua. The water maiden mouthed 'Go along with it.' Terra nodded, understanding.

Leon sighed in the back of his throat. "That still doesn't change the fact that he was running around unsupervised when I clearly told you and Cid last night I wanted them here and not out of your sight."

Both Terra and Aqua glared incredulously at Leon, insulted. They were about to start saying some colorful words, mostly learned from Cid, when Aerith spoke up.

Aerith, "Terra wasn't unsupervised. Stitch was with him." Said blue ball of fur was currently held in Aerith's arms, cuddling up with the flower girl. Stitch narrowed his eyes, smiling a little as he waved his little claws. "Hh-Hiii."

Yuffie groaned, rolling her eyes. Yuffie, "Please, Stitch obviously doesn't count."

Stitch growled at that.

But once more, Aerith spoke up. "Nuh-uh. Remember? We made him an honorary member of the Restoration Committee." Aerith looked at Leon. "Didn't you also say you didn't want them out of a committee member's sight?"

Leon narrowed his eyes, but didn't reply, finding himself caught. He didn't think she had heard that. Yuffie however, wasn't deterred. Yuffie, "Alright, fine! Even if they weren't running around town raising trouble, that still doesn't explain who did all this damage to Merlin's house!"

She seemed to have everyone at that, but to Leon and Yuffie's surprise, Stitch spoke up once more. Stitch, "Kanjijibe! Zz-zz!"

Yuffie rolled her eyes. "Ugh! You keep saying that, but what does it even mean you annoying furball?"

Terra glared at the more annoying girl, as did Aqua. They definitely liked Leon more then they did her. Even Stitch seemed exasperated as he called back, "Cousin! Was cousin!"

Yuffie looked at Stitch exhaustedly. "What?"

Leon watched, waiting for an explanation.

Stitch shifted his big eyed gaze to Terra. Stitch, "Terra? Drip-drip?"

Terra didn't reply for a moment. Instead, he scanned the room for a moment, looking around for a certain item. Something big…

He spotted a large glass vase luckily with no flowers or water inside it. Terra looked back at Stitch and said, "Stitch, grab that will you?" Both Aerith and Aqua followed Terra's gaze, as did Stitch, who upon seeing the vase went, "Ooh!" and scurried free from Aerith's arms, scrabbling over and picking up the vase easily, laughing as he did. "Ah-hahahaha!"

Yuffie pointed at Stitch, deadpanning, "Am I the only one terrified right now? Whenever he laughs like that, something usually explodes."

Everyone ignored her.

Terra looked at Merlin and asked, "Can I borrow that bucket of mop water?" The old wizard blinked, very confused. Cid quirked an eyebrow and his toothpick rose, intrigued. Yuffie just stared at Terra like he had grown another head, while Aqua looked just as confused as Merlin. Leon continued to watch silently, while Aerith watched in a combination of fascination and amusement.

Merlin, "I…suppose. But whatever for?" Terra, "Just trust me on this. Also," He looked at Aqua, Yuffie and Leon. "You all might want to step back a little." Yuffie snorted, and didn't move. Leon however, discreetly took two even steps back. Aqua didn't just yet, looking at Terra in wonder. Terra smiled sheepishly. "Trust me on this?"

Yuffie rolled her eyes. "Not on your life."

Aqua shot her a glare, but looked back at Terra and nodded, stepping back next to Aerith and Stitch. Terra spared Yuffie a glance that said, "Your funeral", and then looked at Stitch as the bucket of mop water floated over. "You ready?"

The blue alien nodded, holding the glass vase up.

Terra nodded and backed up at arm's length, holding the small sphere over the bucket. Almost everyone found themselves holding their breath as Terra dropped the sphere into the bucket, where it made a faint splash. A tense moment passed.

When nothing happened, Yuffie rolled her eyes, smirking at Terra. "Man, who do you think you're fool-"

The bucket jerked, the dirty water spilling out as a bright yellow glow emitted from it, causing Yuffie to screech and jump back. A split second later before anyone could react, 221 emerged from the water, cackling, legs fused into a lightning bolt tail, antennas alive and crackling once more. Leon's eyes widened and his hand jerked towards his gunblade. Merlin adjusted his glasses quickly, jaw dropping, while Cid just raised a brow. Aerith and Aqua gasped, the water maiden stepping forward, hand raised to call her Keyblade if then need arose.

But Terra and Stitch acted faster.

Stitch leapt forward before 221 had a chance to move and slammed the vase down over it, trapping it inside. Terra rushed forward, catching Stitch, the vase and 221 inside it and carefully pushed it onto the ground, trapping 221 inside. The yellow electrical experiment screeched enraged, bouncing around inside the vase, but failing to so much as crack it. Both Terra and Stitch exchanged relieved breaths before grinning at each other.

Yuffie hesitantly stepped closer, eyes wide, mouth agape. "Oh. My. Gawd." She pointed at 221 with a shaking hand. "That-That thing-It looks like Stitch!"

Almost everyone was crowded over the captured alien seconds later. Aerith leaned closer, smiling at the crackling alien. Aerith, "Aww…He has Stitch's smile." Said smile was more of snarl.

Stitch suddenly moved closer, standing right in front of his entrapped 'cousin'. It was only then everyone, Terra and Aqua especially, really saw how right Yuffie was. 221 and Stitch did look a lot alike. The crackling yellow experiment snarled at Stitch, blue sparks dancing up his antennas. Stitch continued to stare at his yellow doppelganger.

Then he flattened his ears, straightening them a second later.

Terra, Aqua, Merlin and Yuffie looked confused at that, while Leon and Cid watched in boredom and Aerith watched amusedly.

221 cocked his head, his snarl disappearing.

Hesitantly, he flattened his shorter ears, then raised them, mimicking Stitch's actions.

Everyone blinked.

Stitch, meanwhile, raised his arms up, extending them out. The flesh on the side of his belly rippled and Stitch's extra two arms grew out. Yuffie blanched at the sight, while Merlin adjusted his glasses uncomfortably. Leon and Cid raised a brow, but showed no real reaction. Aerith looked intrigued while Terra nodded in realization, looking at Aqua. "So that's where they went."

Stitch's razor sharp jaws spread in a toothy smile. Stitch, "Ooh!" He hugged the glass vase with all four arms. "Cousin!"

221 blinked, but showed no aggressive or negative reaction to Stitch's actions.

Aerith let out a "Aww," while Yuffie rolled her eyes, but smiled a little as well. Merlin smiled, adjusting his glasses over his twinkling eyes. Cid cocked a brow and chuckled once, bemused, despite himself. Leon showed no real reaction, though his rough features almost seemed to soften. Aqua folded her arms, smiling. Terra however, slapped his palm over his face.

Terra, "Stitch, seriously? He tried to fry us!" Stitch's response was a bark and growl in his native tongue, still hugging his entrapped cousin, though a bit more protectively. Terra just shrugged, exasperated, but not arguing.

Leon looked at Cid, the pilot still studying the yellow experiment closely. Leon, "You said it could manipulate and generate electricity?" Cid nodded, chewing on his toothpick thoughtfully. Leon looked back at 221 and Stitch before looking back at Cid. The pilot spoke first this time. Cid, "I just came to the same conclusion." He popped his toothpick out, pointing it at 221, who stared back curiously.

Cid, "He's the source of all the power outages and shorts we've been havin'."

Yuffie did a double take, looking from 221 to Leon, eyes wide in shock. "Say what? You mean he's responsible for all the overtime I've had to do since Claymore crapped out?"

Cid rolled his eyes at Yuffie. "In laymen's terms, yeah." He looked back at Leon returning to seriousness. "But from what I can tell just from what I've seen, Stitch's 'cousin' generates his own electrical field. But I guess he also feeds on electricity too.' He narrowed his eyes, looking at Stitch and 221 warily. The two aliens exchanged sinister chuckles.

"Then again, he coulda just been like Stitch and causing trouble for heck of it…I'm kinda leaning towards that." Cid deadpanned.

Even Terra and Aqua couldn't argue with that.

Yuffie huffed, glaring down on 221.

Yuffie, "Ugh, as if one Stitch wasn't bad enough." Aqua didn't even bother to roll her eyes at that, tired of the ninja girls' whiny attitude.

221's antennas straightened, sparks crackling between them as the yellow alien bared his teeth, growling. Cid narrowed his eyes, tapping the glass vase holding the experiment with his foot, drawing the alien's attention. Cid, "Simmer down, sparky."

'Sparky' growled lowly, but the electricity died down. Cid nodded. "Good boy."

Leon cleared his throat, drawing the pilot's attention. Leon, "So what do with it now? We can't let it run around if it's just going to keep draining power from the village."

Cid nodded, chewing on his toothpick for a moment. Then he said, "I guess we're just going to have to keep him here for a while until we can figure out what to do."

Leon nodded, not exactly keen on the idea, but agreeing nonetheless.

Yuffie sighed, casting a glare at Stitch and Sparky. Yuffie, "Oh, joy." She suddenly straightened up, realization dawning on her and causing her to brighten up. "Wait! If yellow Stitch was the reason we've been having all those power outages, and he's here now, does that mean Claymore will be up and running soon?"

Cid shrugged. "Eh, probably." Yuffie let out a victory screech, pumping her skinny arms in the air. Yuffie, "Woo-hoo! No more triple shifts for me!"

Despite how much the ninja girl annoyed them, Terra and Aqua couldn't help but smirk at her childish antics. Leon sighed, aggravated. He walked over to Yuffie, snatching her collar and dragging her towards the still broken doorway. Yuffie, "Hey what-"

Leon, "Claymore's not going be fixed anytime soon. Until then, you're still on triple shift duties and our break just ended." The ninja girl let out a defeated moan, going limp, causing Leon to drag her behind him. Yuffie, "I can't win…"

"Um, Leon?"

The leather clad gunblade slinger paused, looking back at Aerith's call. The flower girl nodded her head towards Terra and Aqua behind her, her forest eyes hopeful. Aerith, "Don't you think someone deserves a 'thank you'?"

Yuffie looked up, snorting. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me. Why should we thank tall dark and moody when we would have probably found Stitch number two on our own eventual-eep!" The last word became a cry of surprise as Leon instantly let go of her collar, causing Yuffie to bang her head on the floor.

Terra and Aqua chuckled at that, though they got serious quickly when Leon slowly walked back over, standing opposite of Terra, icy blues meeting cobalt stones. For a long moment, there was very tense silence. Aqua and Aerith both watched nervously while Yuffie just absentmindedly looked over her fingernails.

Finally, Leon took a deep breath and said, "I do owe you thanks." Aerith let out a relived sigh while Yuffie and Aqua blinked, doing double takes. Yuffie exclaimed, "Say what?" "For once I agree with her," Aqua said suspiciously, eyeing Leon mistrustfully. Terra maintained a focused expression, waiting for Leon to go on.

And so the gunblade wielder did. "While I do agree with Yuffie as we probably would have caught that alien eventually-"

"Sparky." Interjected Aerith pleasantly. Leon eyed her warily. Aerith only smiled back. "That's his name." She looked back at Stitch and Sparky, the two aliens still studying each other curiously. Aerith looked back at Leon. "I think he likes it."

Aqua followed her gaze, looking at the yellow electrical experiment. She nodded to herself. "Fitting, to say the least."

Leon sighed again, impatient and just wanting to get this over with. "Anyway," he said loudly, meeting Terra's eye again. "While I don't like the fact you were running around chasing after…Sparky, I am thankful you caught it before it could do any real damage." Terra eyed Leon another moment. Then he nodded slowly.

Terra, "No problem. I've seen what he can do and he needed to be contained fast." He narrowed his eyes at the leather clad younger man. "Though I don't need your permission to go where I please." Leon narrowed his gaze as well, returning the glare. Then he turned sharply with a curt, "Whatever." and quickly headed back out, dragging Yuffie along as he did. The dark haired girl gave them a half-hearted wave before she and Leon disappeared around the corner.

Terra let out an annoyed sigh, though he felt a reassuring hand rub his shoulder. Glancing back, he saw Aqua, and by her expression she shared his feelings. But Aerith smiled cheerily at the two, saying pleasantly, "That went well." Terra gazed at her curiously, but shrugged.

"I guess."

"Well now," spoke up a well polished voice. The three looked over to see Merlin walking over, brushing his robes as he did. Merlin, "Now that all the excitements died down, what say we have lunch? It's past time for it anyway."

Terra nodded eagerly, making Aqua roll her eyes in bemusement. Merlin smiled and beckoned them over towards the table, where the animated items were floating away, the living room finally cleaned up. Terra stopped suddenly, causing the girls and wizard to look back.

Merlin, "Terra m'boy? Something wrong?" Terra looked nervously back at Stitch, but upon seeing he was still occupied with Sparky, he looked back at Merlin, shaking his head. "Nothing. Nothing at all."

He moved ahead of Aqua and Aerith, the women exchanging curious expressions and raised brows. But then they shrugged, sharing a curious laugh and followed after Terra and Merlin.

Back with Stitch and Sparky, the blue alien pointed a claw at the yellow one. Stitch, "Cousin." Stitch chirped happily. Sparky cocked his head, mouth working, though no sound came out at first.

Then he slurred, "Couzzzin?"

Stitch gasped happily, before hugging the vase Sparky was in again.

The group watched, unable to help their smiles.

* * *

The rest of the day was uneventful, (Well compared to the earlier events), and Terra and Aqua spent most of their time helping Merlin clean up the rest of the first floor of his house, Aerith pitching in as well. Cid turned down any and all offers for help on his computer, insisting on doing it himself. Leon and Yuffie only came back around nightfall to clock out, exchanging goodbyes with Cid and Aerith while mostly ignoring Terra and Aqua.

The earth fighter and water maiden returned in kind.

Finally, it was late and Aerith departed, promising to come back tomorrow. Cid remained to continue fixing his computer and also to watch over Sparky, in case the yellow experiment attempted to escape, though Sparky seemed rather compliant when Aerith had told him to behave.

Merlin, Terra and Aqua retired to the upper floor, with Merlin heading to his new study (Added the night before) to do some research.

Thus leaving Terra and Aqua alone.

Well, mostly alone, Stitch was still there too.

The two were in the second living room that doubled as a library, Merlin's extensive collection filling the shelves and still there were many more in piles littered around the room. There was also a fireplace, a small fire already lit up, courtesy of Merlin. Aqua was slowly looking through all the eye level rows, her thumb running down the spines of several books. Terra was also looking, but he didn't share Aqua's love of reading. He liked books, but preferred training over studying.

Stitch alternated from sitting by their legs, moving from Terra to Aqua and back again in random intervals. Other than that, he was surprisingly quiet, just staring up at the two, big eyes wide, ears flat against his head.

Surprisingly, Terra found a book to read first. He eased the book from its' spot in the row, holding it in one hand as he looked at the cover.

The title read _A History of Ancient Sword-Making and Combat Styles._

Terra arched a brow, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Interesting.

Terra moved towards an armchair just as Aqua found a book for herself; a tome of spell studies.

Most interesting.

The water maiden moved towards the couch by the armchair Terra was sitting in, Stitch skittering after her. The moment she sat down, Aqua suddenly found a blue furball lying on her lap. Aqua arched a delicate blue brow, gazing down on Stitch. The alien just grinned cutely.

Which for him was a big, toothy smile.

Sighing and shrugging, Aqua opened her book, reaching to stroke Stitch's ear with her other hand.

Terra watched the little scene with an amused smile.

Aqua caught Terra looking, though her look wasn't as amused.

Terra winced.

She was still upset.

Terra sighed, not opening his book yet. Might as well get this over with now, or else he would just get in bigger trouble later. Nervously clearing his throat, fingers tapping his book, Terra worked up his nerve to meet Aqua's eyes again before saying, "Um, look, I just wanted to say I'm sorry."

Aqua met his eyes evenly, no longer looking annoyed.

Terra took a breath, trying to calm his speeding heart as he went on, hoping his voice wasn't shaking. "I should have…woken you, let you know, and uh…"

He face heated up a little as he found his thoughts drifting back to the morning. Aqua must have been having similar thoughts, for her pale face tinged pink a little.

_How cute_, Terra thought. He froze up at that thought. He coughed nervously, and started to say something again, "I mean, what I meant to say was…uh…"

Stitch, who had been seemingly asleep in Aqua's lap, opened one eye, watching the exchange in amusement.

Aqua held her hand out, stopping Terra. Aqua, "Terra, it's alright. I'm not really mad about that at all."

Terra blinked. "You're not?" His relief was very evident. Aqua nodded, pausing to gather her words before she continued.

"To be honest I was never mad about that at all. I was just…"She sighed, closing her watery orbs. "Worried." Terra furrowed his brow at her statement.

"Worried? About what?" He asked, honestly confused.

Aqua sighed, very exasperated at this point. "About you, who else?"

Terra blinked, still genuinely confused. "But…why?"

Aqua nervously brushed her hair again, rubbing Stitch's ear as well, much to the furball's pleasure.

When she could finally meet Terra's eye again, she replied quietly, "Terra…just yesterday your ribs were practically shattered and your chest was cut open. You almost _died._ And not even a full day passes before your chasing after danger again."

Terra's confused expression fell into one of sad understanding.

Aqua went on, looking away though. "I…I finally found you…" She looked back at him, sapphire eyes sparkling as they met his darker cobalts.

"And I almost lost you again."

Stitch moaned quietly, sadly, nuzzling Aqua's hand. She pet his furry head, more to ease herself than Stitch.

Terra took a deep breath, steeling himself. Then he stood up, walking over to Aqua and Stitch. The Keyblade mistress blinked in surprise as Terra's hand fell over hers'. She blushed from the contact. He hadn't taken his gloves off, and the leather was warm.

Terra struggled for a moment, looking for the words that never came easy. Then he looked at Aqua, and said, "I'm never leaving you again. I'm not going to run off on my own again." He looked at his left hand, studying the dark glove over his fingers and palm.

"I know where that path leads now." He looked back into Aqua's eyes, smiling reassuringly.

"So don't worry, okay?"

Aqua found herself smiling back, her cheeks still tinted pink.

"Terra…" Shem murmured, her hand moving over his.

And then Stitch said:

"Aqua sleep with Terra again?"

**Very** awkward silence ensued.

Both Terra and Aqua blushed tomato red at Stitch's comment, the moment utterly ruined by the alien's innocent question and the not so innocent implication in it.

Terra flinched back, quickly gathering his book up, not looking at Aqua as he said even faster, "I think I'm going to go bed."

Aqua nodded, not looking at him as well, shooting up to her feet and causing Stitch to tumble to the floor with a surprised cry of "Whoa!" though both earth warrior and water maiden found it easy to ignore his distress. Aqua replied, "Yeah me too- To my room. Alone."

Not even saying goodnight, they both raced to their rooms, slamming their respective doors behind them.

And leaving poor Stitch to sit back up, rubbing his head and "Murr?" in confusion, wondering what had happened.

* * *

Aqua buried her face in her bed's pillow, the cool sheet failing to ease the heat from her burning cheeks.

She honestly didn't know why she was reacting this way.

It was all very strange and confusing. Her heart was beating faster and faster, and all these strange feelings were growing inside her.

The strangest (And most frightening thing to her) was that…

She liked the idea of sleeping next to Terra again.

Heart pounding, Aqua let out a confused groan before hiding her face deeper in her pillow, and trying to ease herself to sleep.

* * *

Terra tossed his book onto the table next to his bed before promptly sitting down, face buried in his hands as he groaned loudly, annoyed.

He felt like a complete idiot, and it wasn't even his fault!

"Stitch…" He growled. That alien was going to get it good, sooner or later.

His anger and humiliation died down when his mind drifted back towards Aqua. Not of Aqua running away from him just moments ago…

But the image of her sleeping peacefully next him.

The beautiful image took his breath away, his heart beginning to pound, his blood racing-

And then suddenly Aqua wasn't lying on his bed.

An image of her in her armor, lying on a floor covered in glowing chains flashed in his mind.

Terra gasped, his thoughts broken.

But the image faded just as quickly as it appeared.

Terra sat there for a moment, his worries gone for the moment. His mind drifted back to the strange dream from this morning, the attack and images from after his battle with Sparky and now this.

He turned his gaze, looking at the window, catching a faint reflection of his face.

He noted his longer hair and his older looks.

"What's happened to me?" He whispered to himself.

The shadows of his room offered no comfort, no answer.

No salvation in their once tempting depths.

* * *

It was well past midnight when most of Radiant Garden's populace was asleep and dreaming when Cid finally finished his repairs on his computer.

Replacing the new monitor screen and done with the rewiring, he sat down in front of his restored machine, grinning rather smugly, pleased with himself.

He looked over at Sparky out of the corner of his eye, seeing the yellow alien was still awake, watching Cid curiously.

Cid, "Next time, kindly don't blow a hole through my computer."

The electrical experiment's only response was a bored yawn.

Cid scoffed, returning his gaze onto his computer. Just to make sure things were running, he quickly typed a few keys, powering it up. There was a hum and pleasant chime and the screen lit up.

Grinning, satisfied, Cid started to turn it off when a message screen flashed on the monitor. Cid cursed. "No rest for the weary. May as well check it now."

He typed quickly, pulling up the scent file and opening it.

Then a voice spoke from the computer.

"Hello? Can any User hear me?"

Cid blinked, surprised for the second time today.

Cid, "Well I'll be- Tron! That you?"

'Tron' responded quickly, "Ah, thank goodness! I finally managed to contact you, Cid! I attempted too hours ago but you were not responding." Cid cast a wry glance at Sparky, though the yellow Stitch doppelganger seemed to have fallen asleep.

The pilot sighed, looking back at the computer and replying, "Yeah, we had a pretty hectic morning. The computer was knocked out a while."

Tron, "I trust everyone is alright?"

Cid shrugged. "Eh. Pretty much."

Tron, "I will take that as a yes. I'm sorry to disturb you so late Cid, but this matter is of gravest importance."

Cid leaned forward, brow cocked, toothpick raised. "What's up?"

Tron, "I'll show you. Open files VC1 through VC4."

Four small windows opened on the screen in front of Cid. The pilot quickly realized they were video feeds, specifically from the still functioning security cameras inside the castle, Hollow Bastion. Cid studied them carefully, watching the images they streamed silently.

Then he chuckled miserably, shaking his head.

"This week is just gettin' better and better."

* * *

(Tornado blows through, leaving this dusty, abandoned corner looking brand spanking new...along with ruining several trailer parks and towns.)

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

Did you all miss me?


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Resurgence.

Cid popped another toothpick into his mouth, flicking the chewed one into the wastebasket. The former pilot paused, eyes squinting as he looked down into the box that carried his 'picks. It was almost empty.

Mumbling a curse, he slipped it back into his waistband just as the door to the house opened and a tired, irritated, high pitched voice said, "This better be good Cid,"

Cid turned and saw Yuffie walking in, slowly, followed by Leon and Aerith. The ninja girl narrowed her red rimmed eyes. "For getting us all up at **five** in the **morning**!"

The pilot cocked a brow. "Actually, you're two hours late."

Yuffie's eyes twitched and she started to say something, but stopped, sighing in annoyance, too tired to make the effort.

While it was clear Yuffie was the most annoyed and disheveled from getting up at such a time, bags under her eyes, dark hair sticking up a little and her clothes wrinkled, Leon and Aerith for once seemed in agreement with her. Leon looked more sullen and moody then usual, his leather jacket gone and leaving him in his white undershirt, his lion pendent necklace on display. Aerith lacked her usual smile, lighter dark circles under her eyes and she yawned, covering her mouth before looking back at Cid, eyes droopy.

Leon moved past Yuffie, not even glancing at her as he approached Cid. The gunblade slinger crossed his arms, glaring down on Cid, his scarred brow furrowed more than usual. Leon, "What is it Cid?"

Not even remotely fazed by Leon's stink eye Cid met his gaze evenly, chewing his toothpick a second before replying, "I finished all the repairs on the computer last night and-"

Yuffie interrupted at that. "You mean you woke us all up just to brag about your stupid computer?"

Cid glanced at her, dryly scowling. "First, no. Second, this computer isn't stupid. It's probably smarter than you."

Just as Yuffie started to reply with a few of Cid's own choice words, the screen behind the pilot blinked up and a voice spoke, "Actually, while these terminals carry and store many bytes of data ranging from basic mathematics to advanced algorithms, it was only through the genius of the Users that this technology has come so far in such short time."

Yuffie's eyes widened while Leon glanced at the computer in a kind of understanding. Aerith finally smiled, clapping her hands together in delight. "Tron! It's so good to hear from you again!"

The screen brightened, a beep resonating from it.

Tron, "Greetings Users!"

Yuffie smiled smugly at Cid. Yuffie, "See? Even the compy agrees with me! Computers got nothin' on people!" Crossing her arms and grinning, Yuffie stared at Cid expectantly, eagerly waiting the technician's trademark temper flare up. But instead the pilot kept his expression blank and bored, while Tron chose to speak again.

"Well, actually, I was referring to my creator and Ansem the Wise. I know that not all Users posses the same level of knowledge and technical ability and rely more on other machines and items for aid and information gathering. Though from what Cid has told me about you, young User, you seem more likely to rush in blindly without gathering Intel. Highly dangerous and impractical."

Yuffie stared blankly, mouth agape, eyes dull.

Cid chuckled, smirking and looking back at the computer. Cid, "Tron, don't ever change."

The screen blinked again.

Tron, "Unlikely, unless my programming was directly interfered with and rewritten by an outside force-"

"Cid. Tron." Leon's gruff voice interjected, eyes narrowed into icy slits and glimmering with aggravation, vein pulsing on his forehead behind his brown locks. Addressing the later and then the former, Leon asked "Why are you here, and what is so important you needed us all here at five in the morning that couldn't wait until shift started at eight?"

Cid's mirth died back down into a scowl, while the monitor behind him dimmed a little.

Cid flicked his toothpick before speaking first. "Last night after I finished repairing the computer, Tron contacted me, as you heard, and…Well." He glanced back at the monitor.

"Show 'em."

The screen brightened and beeped, four small windows opening before Leon, Yuffie and Aerith.

At first all they showed was static but then they flickered and images began to stream from somewhere. All three quickly recognized the interiors of hallways, balconies and underground passages captured by the security cameras inside the mighty castle, Hollow Bastion, just outside the town.

They also recognized the creatures occupying those places.

Leon's eyes widened while Yuffie gaped in shock and Aerith covered her mouth in a gasp of horror.

Twisting, writhing bodies of varying color, primarily black or dark blue but ranging from fiery red and sickly green, forms ranging from humanoid to barely resembling anything remotely normal. But while they all varied in shape and sizes, each one had two recurring similarities.

Eyes that glowed an unnatural, pupil-less yellow, and a red and black heart emblem with a 'X' crossing over their surfaces.

Those without hearts, consumed by the darkness.

The Heartless.

Leon stepped closer towards the computer, standing right next to Cid as he stared at the four screens, watching the Heartless move or float around erratically. He lowered his head with a disgusted sigh before raising his right hand to run it over his face. Cid eyed him, but said nothing, chewing his toothpick.

It was Yuffie who, of course, broke the silence.

"You've got to be kidding me!" She waved her arms out frantically. "They're must be dozens of those things! How did they all slip into the castle without one of us noticing?"

The screen brightened, and Tron responded, "Well, due to all the power shortages as of late, the castle defense systems have been under performing. Just yesterday I did a personal diagnostic and noticed this mass gathering. I attempted to alert you all, but Cid explained the computer terminal had been 'knocked out'."

There was a pause and all four Restoration Committee members turned their heads towards Sparky, the yellow alien still fast asleep inside the glass vase he had been captured in yesterday, his antennas twitching with small sparks every few seconds. Leon growled while Yuffie huffed and groaned. Cid just eyed the experiment in annoyance and Aerith sighed, shrugging and raising her hands as if to ask 'What can you do?'

Yuffie crossed her arms and mumbled, "Not here two days and he's already making life even more difficult than Stitch ever could."

Not surprisingly, everyone ignored her, looking back at the screen and the windows displaying the Heartless. Leon leaned on the keyboard sighing deeply, contemplating. Then he looked back at the glowing monitor. Leon, "Tron, can you estimate how many Heartless are inside the Castle right now?"

Another beep, the screen dimming. Tron, "Because of the lack of adequate power to any of the castle detection systems, the estimate cannot be accurate."

Leon sighed, rubbing his face again before looking back at the screen, eyes narrowed in irritation as he snapped, "Then a rough estimate. Give me numbers. I need to know what were dealing with."

Tron didn't reply, and the screen brightened, several beeps sounding. There was a tense silence, no one daring to make a sound. Leon watched with a blank expression, but his body was rigid, on edge. Yuffie bounced on her feet, brimming with nervous energy. Aerith crossed her arms behind her back and twisted a little, frowning. Cid was the only one who composed, though his toothpick was about to be chewed in half at the rate he was gnawing on it.

Finally, there was one final ping and Tron gave them the tally.

Tron, "After going over captured camera stills at different time frames and scanning with the few sensors that still function inside the castle, the 'rough estimate' is between one eighty to two hundred zone. But from studying regular Heartless behavior and growth patterns from past encounters, the numbers are likely higher."

Everyone reacted at that.

Leon swore, slamming his fist down on the keyboard, causing Tron to yelp from the monitor as he received the feedback. Cid's eyes widened and his toothpick drooped, almost falling out. Yuffie slumped too her knees, sniffling before tossing her head back and bawling loudly. Aerith paled, her forest eyes widening as well, her hand going to her chest as if to still her suddenly racing heart.

"I say!"

The familiar, well-polished voice had a stuffy, annoyed overtone to it, quickly joined by a magical hum and puff of blue and pink smoke.

Merlin appeared by Leon and Cid, dressed in ankle length striped nightshirt, a small cap on top of his head. His eyes were narrowed behind his spectacles in tired annoyance. "What is with all this racket? The sun has barely begun to rise and here you all are acting like crowing roosters!" Nobody responded.

The wizened wizard looked from Leon to Cid, Aerith and finally settled on the source of his irritation, the currently bawling Yuffie.

Merlin made a noise of distaste and said, "Stop your crying, girl! You're an adult and here you are behaving like a child!" He paused, looking considerate even as Yuffie continued to sob loudly.

"Well, even more so than usual."

Yuffie sniffled, glaring at Merlin through teary eyes. "Shut up you old coot!"

Merlin flinched, looking flabbergasted. He drew himself up, shaking with anger. "Why you-"

"Yuffie, Merlin enough!"

Leon's voice broke through the argument before it had a chance to begin.

For a tense beat, there was silence. Merlin looked over everyone again, noting the grim expressions and the tension perforating the air. He adjusted his glasses, frowning in concern now. He looked back at Leon and Cid before saying, "What's going on? Why does everyone look so grim?"

Cid gestured towards the monitor and the screens inside it. Cid, "Take a gander for yerself geezer."

Frowning, but not retorting, Merlin adjusted his glasses before glancing at the computer screen as Cid directed. He blinked, eyes widening. "Oh my."

Cid and Leon nodded.

Then Merlin said, "I can understand why you would be so upset, Cid, but not everyone else. After all, Heartless in the computer should be easier to get rid of then regular Heartless."

Cid did a double take, spluttering while Leon just rubbed his forehead, feeling the onset of a headache.

Cid rounded on Merlin, brow twitching and eyes wide with anger. Pointing at the computer, the pilot snapped, "They ain't in the computer you idiot! Those images are from the castle! The Heartless are inside the castle!"

Merlin adjusted his glasses again, squinting at the computer. Then his eyes widened in understanding. "Oh, dear. That's not good at all."

Cid scoffed, sitting back down and glancing at the screen. "For once I agree with you." Merlin looked at Cid, then Leon, who was still leaning on the keyboard and the wizard glanced back at Yuffie and Aerith. The flower girl was comforting the younger ninja, whose bawling had died to down to whimpers.

Merlin looked back to Leon and Cid, and said, "I don't understand why you're all acting like this! We've faced the Heartless before, and triumphed several times!"

Cid scoffed, flicking his toothpick. "Yeah, when we had Claymore and Sora backin' us up."

Merlin looked down at Cid, frowning. "But during the invasion last year, the battle took place out of Claymore's range and we still held our own."

Cid jabbed his chewed 'pick at the wizard. "Still the whole 'no Keyblade wielder' thing to work around."

Leon looked at Merlin out of the corner of his eye. "We can handle the Heartless with our weapons, but the Keyblade is the only weapon that can get rid of them for good."

Yuffie piqued up. And for once she didn't sound whiny or boasting. She was actually serious. "And we've never been this exhausted before fighting them. Sure, we've handled bigger numbers but we were at the top of our game."

Aerith pitched in, her grim expression disappearing into a smile. "But that's why you all have me. I'll keep your strength and health at their highest whenever you need me too."

Leon frowned at that, looking back at Aerith. "You know I don't want you on the battlefield."

Aerith frowned, brow scrunching up as she stood back up, hands on her hips.

"I'm more than capable of taking care of myself, mister gunblade user. I'll show those Heartless what for if they try to gobble my heart up." Yuffie shot up at that, grinning widely. Yuffie, "You tell 'im girl!"

Cid chuckled flicking his 'pick back into his mouth, while Merlin adjusted his glasses, eyes twinkling in bemusement. Leon sighed, but couldn't fight the slight tug at the corners of his lips. He looked back at the screen, eyes narrowing. But he couldn't afford to be soft now.

"The answer is still no. You're safer here." That made Aerith instantly deflate, her smile vanishing. Leon ignored the sudden twin set of glares on him, focusing on the computer screen.

Leon, "We need take them on before they have a chance to spread into the town. But there are still some things we have to go over: Specifically the matter of town defense. If were not here, what's to stop them from slipping in?"

Yuffie snorted, twirling a throwing star between her fingers. "Well obviously we'll kill 'em all before they have the chance!"

Leon sighed, aggravated while Cid rounded around in his chair, scowling at Yuffie. Cid, "Heartless may be stupid, but they always somehow manage to slip past any worlds best defenses. That's how they spread and multiply, like bugs."

Yuffie scrunched up her face in disgust at that. No arguing there.

Cid rounded around in his chair, looking at Leon. Cid, "Leave town defense to me and Merlin." Leon blinked, looking back at Merlin and saw the wizard nodding in agreement. Merlin, "Yes, I do believe Cid and I can hold the fort while you all head to the castle."

Leon still looked unconvinced.

Leon, "But there's only the two of you and Aerith…"

Cid flicked his toothpick. "Just close the gate to the bailey after y'all go through. I'll keep watch from the computer, and scan the town for any Heartless that slip through. And if that does happen, I'll give Merlin its' location and he'll zap it with that magic of his."

The wizard rolled his eyes. "Oh, now my magic is an asset and not a nuisance, is it?"

Cid shrugged. "When it comes to killin' Heartless, yeah. Everything else, no."

Merlin let out a disgusted sigh, waving Cid off.

Leon looked between the two men before nodding. Then he focused back on the screen, eyeing the Heartless and their numbers. Yuffie and Aerith walked up next to him, looking at the screen as well.

Aerith looked at Leon, though the gunblade slinger didn't look back. Aerith, "It's still a lot of Heartless, even for us."

Leon rubbed his chin, nodding slowly.

Then he turned and looked at the flower girl. Leon, "If you really want to help, I need you to try and find Cloud and Tifa. Let them know what's going on and that we need their help." Aerith nodded but didn't immediately move.

Leon turned to Yuffie and said, "Yuffie, go into town, see if any of the shops are open yet, if not, check with the Moogles, they're always open. Buy as many potions, ethers and elixirs you can afford, preferably mega, since were all going to need them."

The ninja girl nodded, but like Aerith didn't move at first. Instead, she held her hand out, palm up. Leon raised a brow, un-amused.

Yuffie looked at him in genuine confusion. "What? You really expect me to pay with my own munny?"

'Tch'ing in annoyance, Leon reached into his pants' pocket and removed a satchel of munny, dropping it into her hand. Smirking in triumph, Yuffie turned and raced off. Leon knew all his munny would not be coming back.

He started to turn back towards Cid and Merlin but paused, looking back.

Aerith still hadn't moved from her spot, standing and staring at Leon, brow furrowed and eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Leon met her gaze and frowned back, confused as to why she hadn't left yet. Leon, "Aerith, what's the hold up?"

She bit her lip, looking away for a second. Then she hesitantly met Leon's gaze again. Aerith, "…It's still a lot of Heartless, even if Cloud and Tifa help, isn't it?"

Leon stared at her, uncertain at what she was getting at, but nodded.

Aerith crossed her arms behind her back, her head turning, forest green eyes gazing up at the ceiling. Then she looked back at Leon and asked, "Why don't you ask Terra and Aqua for their help?"

Leon's eyes narrowed in surprise though he quickly narrowed them again before saying, "Out of the question."

Aerith pursed her lips but before she could protest, someone else spoke first.

Cid, "Now hold on," He swiveled around in his chair. "That's actually not a bad idea. We're gonna need all the extra hands we can get, and we at least know the new kid can handle himself."

Leon grit his jaw, hissing in aggravation but before he could speak, someone beat him to it.

Merlin rubbed his chin in thought. "That might not actually be a bad idea. Both of them are wielders of the Keyblade and their help will go a long way in clearing out this infestation."

Aerith smiled, looking back at Leon in triumph.

The gunblade slinger hissed through gritted teeth, averting his icy blue eyes away from Aerith in a huff. Leon, "They're not from here, they have no reason to get involved and I really don't want them too. This is our problem, we'll handle it."

Aerith arched her brow, crossing her arms and coolly met Leon's gaze, unflinching.

While Merlin adjusted his glasses and lowered his eyes nervously, Cid spared the two a glance before looking away and mumbling, "And they call me stubborn…"

Flower girl and gunblade slinger ignored the pilot and continued to their stare down, neither giving an inch.

It was finally Leon who broke the silence. "The answer is no." His tone was final and had no grounds for argument.

Aerith's shoulders slumped, her frown reappearing. She sighed in defeat, looking away from Leon's intense icy gaze. Leon felt an ache in his chest, something that felt way too much like guilt.

Aerith looked back at Leon and said sadly, "I really don't understand why you won't even try to trust them. They haven't down anything wrong, and Terra even found Sparky and brought him to us so he wouldn't cause anymore trouble."

Leon scowled. "Something we would have done by ourselves. They've both been hostile and guarded, they're hiding something, and I can't afford to trust them until I find out what they are hiding."

Aerith's look became greatly distressed.

Aerith, "Did you ever think the reason they're so hostile is because the first thing you did when they arrived was attack them? You say you can't trust them, but trust works both ways. If you say they haven't done anything to earn your trust, then the same can be said for you."

Leon blinked, shocked.

That…that hadn't occurred to him at all.

Aerith turned and walked towards the door. But before she opened it and stepped outside, she looked back over at Leon, her gaze sad, yet pleading, but not desperately.

"Please…just think about it, will you?"

And then she opened the door, stepping out and closing it behind her, leaving Leon, Merlin and Cid, alone in the cottage.

The gunblade slinger sighed through gritted teeth, rubbing the faded skin of his scar.

_I can't believe what I'm about to do…_he thought miserably.

Lowering his hand, Leon looked back at the older men, settling his gaze on Merlin, who adjusted his glasses and raised his wand, smiling. Leon closed his eyes, sighing. He opened them and turned to face Merlin completely. Leon, "Merlin, will you come with me to the second floor?"

That made both Cid and Merlin blink in surprise. Merlin adjusted his glasses again. "Um, I suppose. But whatever for?"

Leon sighed again, a sound mixed with annoyance and submission.

"I need you…to wake up Aqua while I get Terra."

Both wizard and pilot's eyes widened at that, floored.

Merlin recovered, quickly adjusting his glasses, smiling. Merlin, "Of course! Right this way." The old wizard led the younger man towards the podium, and as soon as they stepped on it, they floated up to the second floor, Merlin smiling while Leon looked like he swallowed something unpleasant.

No doubt his pride tasted bitter.

Cid grinned, chuckling.

This caused Sparky to stir in his container, sleepy blue eyes looking at Cid curiously.

The pilot ignored the alien and turned back towards the computer. "Tron, you should head back to the terminal in the castle. Leon will get there once most of the Heartless have been cleared out and then we'll reestablish the link later. I'm gonna try and see if there's a way I can boost power on your end and get the scanners working again so we can get an accurate measure on the Heartless inside the castle."

The computer beeped. Tron, "Acknowledged."

But the screen didn't dim down.

Cid stared, slowly raising a brow. "Anything else?"

The glow slowly returned.

Tron, "Well…yes. You each mentioned new Users… 'Terra' and 'Aqua'. You also said they could wield Keyblades, like Sora?"

Cid nodded.

The computer screen brightened.

Tron, "Astounding. More Users like Sora…I can't wait to meet them!"

Before Cid could respond the screen dimmed down completely, and the pilot knew Tron had left back to the castle. Sighing, Cid started to type on the keyboard, re-powering the computer and beginning to set up everything he would need to monitor the town for Heartless. As he did, he glanced around the corner of his eye towards the door.

Then he looked back at the computer, quickly immersing himself in his work.

But peeking between the crack between the door and the wall, a green eye glinted in triumph.

Aerith silently closed the door, crossing her arms and smiling, pleased and victorious.

Now she had to find Cloud and Tifa. Tifa was easy enough, for the flower girl knew where the martial artist trained in the morning. Cloud on the other hand…

Aerith looked over her shoulder, towards a higher portion of the village where a crane and water tower were. She smiled knowingly before turning and heading off. In a moment she was around the corner and gone.

Back in the same spot she had just been looking at, a shadow shifted behind the water tower…

And Cloud slowly stepped out, smiling slightly as well.

His glowing blue eyes glanced at the cottage, right at the second floor.

His hand reached back towards his sheathed blade…

Though the gloved fingers moved past his swords' hilt…

And towards a second blade, the black leather of his glove wrapping around the blue material that covered the long hilt.

Reassured by the blades' presence, Cloud turned and vanished back into the shadows.

* * *

A series of knocks broke the peace of his sleep.

Cobalt eyes blinked several times, refusing to stay open for even a second.

Terra finally managed to keep his eyes half way open, but he continued to lie on his bed, wearing only his black undershirt and pants, his boots placed at the end of his bed, his gloves on his nightstand and his cloak folded on a spare chair. In his restless sleep the previous night the sheets twisted a little around his waist. His eyes narrowed when the knocking continued. Sighing exhaustedly through gritted teeth, Terra sat up, swinging his legs over the bedside.

Rubbing his face and trying to wake up, he scowled when the knocking persisted, even harder and louder. "Alright!" He called, not bothering to hide his annoyance. He wasn't a morning person, never had been, and the events of last night were still fresh on his mind.

Standing up, he moved towards the door, running his hand through his long, unruly locks as he reached for the knob. Turning it, he opened the door, still half asleep and wondering who would bother him this early and for what reason-

Upon seeing the surly, scarred face of the leather wearing swordsmen who had attacked him only two days ago, Terra promptly attempted to slam the door shut in his scowling face.

The younger man was faster though, grabbing the doors' edge and stopping it before it could slam close. Icy blues and dark cobalts met in a fierce glare.

Terra spoke first. "It's way too early for me to deal with you right now, so let go or lose the hand." His tone meant business.

Part of him hoped the punk would start something. The earth warrior was looking to burn off some stress and a fight always worked best.

Leon's scowl deepened but, to Terra's disappointment, he didn't take the bait.

Instead the younger man ignored the threat entirely and said, "I need to talk to you."

Terra resisted the urge to laugh in his face. Instead he settled for saying, "No thanks." and pulled the door back harder, actually making the punk stumble a little to Terra's amusement. But the younger man regained his footing and managed to keep the door open just wide enough to keep Terra's eye.

And avoid getting his fingers crushed.

Terra was almost impressed by Leon's persistence but he really wasn't in the mood to keep playing games. Before he could get a firmer grip on the door and shut it, probably taking Leon's fingers in the process, the younger man spoke again.

"I need your help."

Terra blinked, shocked at first.

Then the surprise gave way to anger.

Terra opened the door completely to glare in outrage at Leon, cobalt blue eyes narrowed even further. Terra, "You really have the nerve to say that? If you think just because I brought 221 back here that I was trying to help you all, and I would do it again, then think again."

Leon's scowl deepened as well and he hissed through his gritted teeth a "Tch,". He crossed his arms, and replied in a much calmer tone than Terra's, "Look, I don't want to ask for your help, but despite that, I have too. Because the town is in danger, and I need as many hands as I can get."

Terra didn't reply, but his suspicious gaze didn't waver either.

But when the scarred swordsmen sighed deeply and closed his eyes before looking back at Terra, his scowl having softened into an almost…pleading look.

"Please. Just hear me out, that's all I ask."

For a moment, Terra held his angry and uninterested expression. Then, he too closed his eyes and sighed. Shrugging, Terra replied, "Fine. Let me get dressed."

Leon nodded, looking relieved, though he tried to hide it. He turned towards the hallway and started to walk away while saying, "I'll be waiting in Merlin's library."

Terra glared after him, instantly regretting his decision. Hissing through gritted teeth and turned, walking back into his room and grabbing his gloves and cloak.

A few minutes later he walked out, dressed, and headed towards the library.

As he did, his mind once more wandered towards the previous night. Cheeks flushing, he sighed, aggravated further, and his pace quickened. Terra quickly opened the door to the library and stepped inside-

And stopped mid-step upon seeing Leon wasn't alone.

Also in the library was Merlin, the old wizard also appearing to have just gotten out of bed judging by the nightshirt he was dressed in and cap atop his head. Merlin looked at Terra and smiled, waving and saying, "Good morning, my boy!"

Terra managed to wave back, kind of, though his eyes remained locked on the rooms' other occupant.

Aqua was sitting on the couch, avoiding Terra's stare and nervously running her hand through her hair.

And suddenly frustration gave way back to embarrassment and then annoyance towards a certain blue furball…

Leon looked at Merlin and then at Aqua and Terra, his blank expression turning into a frown when he noticed how tense the two were, Aqua avoiding Terra's gaze while the earth warrior couldn't seem to take his eyes off of her.

Not liking the uncomfortable tension, Leon looked at Merlin and said, "Thanks for getting Aqua, Merlin. You can leave if you want."

Aqua glanced back at the older mage, Terra's eyes following her gaze after another lingering moment on the maiden. Merlin adjusted his glasses, clearing his throat into his hand. Merlin, "I think I'll stay if you don't mind, Leon."

Leon would never admit it, but he was glad the older man decided to stay. Looking away from Merlin, Leon focused on the water maiden and earth warrior. To his discomfort, they also settled their sapphire and cobalt respective eyes on him as well.

Maintaining his blank, almost bored expression, Leon crossed his arms over his chest and said, "It's early, so I'm not going to beat around the bush and waste time." Merlin nodded in understanding. Terra and Aqua maintained their intense staring.

Taking in a breath, then sighing, Leon decided to just throw it out there. "I know you two have only been here a few days, and that your stay hasn't been pleasant, for either of us."

Merlin winced. Aqua arched a blue brow and Terra's eyes narrowed.

Ignoring their reactions, the gunblade slinger went on.

"But despite, you really helped us out yesterday by bringing us the alien that had been causing so much trouble, something we weren't aware of."

Merlin smiled, offering a quick thumbs up, which Leon ignored, resisting the urge to groan. Terra suddenly had a pleased look in his eyes but Aqua kept her poker face as she said, "I thought you weren't going to beat around the bush."

Leon's brow twitched but he ignored his natural urge to scowl. Leon, "Fine. The town is in trouble."

That made the tension between Terra and Aqua vanish into worry and surprise. They stared at Leon with wide eyes. Terra broke the silence first, "What? What do you mean?"

Leon went on. "Surly you've both heard of the Heartless?" It was a rhetorical question on his part and he saw the slight flash of recognition in their eyes. Though, it was more on Aqua's part than Terra's.

"Creatures of darkness…who have lost their hearts, right?" The blue haired female asked, her expression somber and serious. Leon nodded, slightly annoyed by confirming common knowledge. Aqua cast her gaze down, her eyes darkening slightly.

"Yes…I've heard of them before." Both Terra and Merlin looked at her in concern, perhaps mostly on Terra's part. Leon looked at the male warrior, who didn't meet the gunblade wielder's stare this time.

"Terra? You've fought them before as well, right?"

Terra didn't reply immediately, still looking at Aqua. Then, the earth warrior looked away from the water maiden, rather forcefully, to reply to Leon, "I…I haven't."

No sooner did he say that did a sharp pain rip through his head, though Terra resisted the urge to wince and instead flinched slightly, right eye twitching. This sudden action did not go unnoticed by Leon, the gunblade wielder narrowing his eyes in suspicion. But Terra didn't notice.

His mind was suddenly elsewhere.

* * *

_Armored fingers clenched its fist, which shook once more with barely restrained rage. "Xehanort…" Almost as if summoned by the mention of his terrible name, dozens of armored Heartless with short blades for left arms appeared in a ripple of shadow and air._

_They slowly approached, and the grip on his Keyblade tightened. The Heartless lunged-_

_He raised his Keyblade lightning fast and the blade split in two. Channeling endless fury, he tore the Heartless with quick slashes and swings so fast they were a blur. Black mist and several hearts floated into the air and vanished._

* * *

Terra rubbed his forehead, shaking his head a little, surprised by how quickly the pain and memories dissipated. He noticed the odd look Leon was giving him and quickly averted his gaze. "You mean to tell me you've never encountered a Heartless before? Even when you and Stitch were running around yesterday?"

Terra shook his head. Leon sighed in disbelief, rubbing his scar. "Well, that might change after today."

The piqued Aqua's interest. "What do you mean?"

Leon crossed his arms again before replying, "Because there's about two hundred of them in the castle outside of town."

That made Terra and Aqua freeze up in shock, blue eyes widening.

"And there is nothing stopping them from invading the town…except us." Leon finished gravely.

That made Aqua's wide eyes narrow. "Are you…asking for our help?" Her tone was level and cool, betraying nothing. Terra blinked, then narrowed his eyes as well, though more in anger than suspicion, his earlier feelings rearing back up.

Leon sighed deeply, eyes closing. Then he nodded once. Leon, "Our weapons can defeat the Heartless and hold them back…" He uncomfortably met Aqua's eyes, then Terra's before finishing. "But the Keyblade was our biggest help in driving them back before."

Terra glared back at Leon, jaw grinding. "So we really are only worth trusting if we're suddenly useful, right?" Leon scowled. "Tch. Believe what you like. But like I said I need your help whether I want to ask for it or not." Terra's glare intensified in outrage. But what Leon said next caught him off guard.

"Because it's not about me."

Terra blinked. Aqua continued to stare at Leon, though now her eyes were expectant, waiting for him to continue. Leon took in a breath, looking away, more uncomfortable than ever but knowing Aerth was right. He needed their trust.

Leon, "…I promised to repair my world, to make it better than it was before. To do that, I have to destroy the Heartless." He looked back at Terra and Aqua.

"But I can't do it alone, no matter how much I want to. I need help. And for this, I need your help."

Neither Terra or Aqua said anything for a moment. For Terra, he felt floored. He had this younger pegged entirely wrong.

_Not the first time…I've been misled by my own feelings,_ the earth warrior thought miserably.

Aqua meanwhile, was contemplating his words carefully, though the decision was obvious and already final.

Aqua, "Okay. I'll help you."

Terra blinked, looking down at Aqua in shock. Terra, "What? Aqua, are you serious?"

She nodded, confirming Terra's incredulous question, but still did not look back at him. She instead looked at Leon and asked, "You said the Keyblade was your biggest advantage at driving the Heartless back?" Leon nodded slowly.

Aqua nodded back. "Then, as a Keyblade Master, it is my utmost duty to help you defeat the Heartless and uphold the peace of this world." She smiled suddenly, making Leon flinch. He hadn't been expecting her to agree so easily…

"Well said, miss Aqua!"

Everybody blinked, turning and looking back at Merlin. The old wizard blinked, unnerved by the three pairs of blue eyes suddenly on him.

Had they forgotten he was here?

Aqua looked away from Merlin and settled her eyes on Terra. The dark haired male felt the blue haired female's eyes on him and somehow managed to remain composed as he turned slightly to meet her gaze. Aqua, "Terra? You'll help too, won't you?" Terra's eyes suddenly narrowed in downcast. Then they closed entirely as he sighed.

"I will…but I can't use the Keyblade." Terra replied, his words seeped deep in misery.

That made everyone in the room do a double take, eyes on Terra now, wide with shock at his sudden revelation.

Aqua, "What? What do you mean you can't be use the Keyblade?"

Terra held his right hand up, displaying it. Terra, "Just that. I can't use it."

Merlin huffed, adjusting his glasses. "Come now, boy! This is no time for jokes!"

Terra replied in deadpan, "I've never been one for joke, your Elderness." Merlin blinked at that, eyes widening behind his glasses. "I thought I told you to call me Merlin!" The old wizard snapped, waving his wand in annoyance.

Terra ignored the older man, his dulled cobalt eyes still trained on his right hand, the fingers curled slightly over his palm. But the numb expression melted when a smaller, more delicate hand suddenly rested atop his. Terra raised his eyes slightly, and saw Aqua was now in front of him, her hand over his.

She was staring at his hand, avoiding his gaze once more. Then, still avoiding his gaze, she asked, "You won't summon your Keyblade…Terra, is because of…?"

It was unspoken but the earth warrior instantly understood what she was asking. His fingers clenched down so suddenly the motion made Aqua flinch her own hand back. She looked up at him in surprise, finally meeting his gaze again. Terra sighed, shaking his head.

Terra, "No. That's not the reason."

"Then what is it?" Leon's cool voice interrupted, impatience laced in it. Terra's eyes narrowed and he turned slightly, meeting Leon's equally irked stare. Terra lowered his hand, flexing it open at his side. Terra, "That's the thing…"

Light gathered around his arm, traveling down to his hand and then flashed out, forming into swirls of gold and blue cubes that formed the outline of a mighty blade-

Before fizzling out. Both Aqua and Merlin gasped in shock. Terra looked at his hand. "I really don't know."

Aqua stepped closer towards him, her look now very concerned, all previous tension forgotten. Aqua, "Terra how long has this been going on?" Terra shrugged helplessly. Terra, "Since we got here. I tried to summon it when Yuffie attacked me," at that he cast Leon a slight glance, but the younger man showed no real reaction. "But I couldn't. I tried again when me and Stitch confronted 22-…Sparky. But again, nothing."

Aqua reached out, touching his hand. Terra flinched, but didn't shy away, surprised by the sudden contact. Aqua stroked his hand, gazing at the black leather glove over it before looking back up at Terra. Aqua, "Terra, do you have any idea at all how this could have happened?"

Terra sighed sadly, eyes closing as he shook his head helplessly. Terra, "Not a clue." Merlin rubbed his bushy beard, eyes thoughtful. Merlin, "Oh my. This is not good at all."

Leon suddenly spoke up. "Then you're not coming." Everyone looked back at the scarred man. Terra narrowed his eyes. "I didn't say that," he snapped back, perhaps too quickly.

Leon met Terra's glare evenly. Leon, "I know. I did. You're not going with us."

Terra's eyes widened in shock, while Aqua seemed suddenly subdued and Merlin nervously adjusted his glasses. Terra, "You can't just say that! You ask for my help and now your just dismissing me because I'm suddenly not as useful as you thought?" Anger laced each word, the earth warrior wondering why he had even agreed to hear out the gunblade slinger.

"Actually, Terra…" Said person blinked when the words reached him and he looked back at Aqua. She brushed her blue locks out off of her forehead, avoiding Terra's questioning gaze for a moment. What she said next hit him with enough force to knock the breath out of him.

"I think…that you should stay here."

"What?" Terra asked, unsure of whether he had really heard her say that.

Aqua, "You can't use the Keyblade anymore…and you say you've never encountered the Heartless…I think Leon's right. You should stay here, where it's safe."

Terra stared back at the bluenette, hurt evident in his eyes. Though not for long, as anger quickly began to rise up. His right hand slowly clenched into a fist.

No one noticed wisps of black smoke swirling around his fingers. They vanished just as quickly as they appeared and with great effort, Terra managed to force his anger down and his fingers to unclench, one at a time. Taking a deep breath, Terra tried to keep his voice level as he spoke again, "I don't want to sit on the sidelines. I want to help, I know I can help."

Leon, and more importantly Aqua, still looked unconvinced. Terra's thought raced, wondering what else he could say to convince them. But then help came from the most unlikely of sources.

"No fair!"

Everyone blinked, looking around for the source of the intrusive voice. While everyone else was the scanning the room, Aqua paused when a slight noise reached her ears. A scratching sound. She also saw sudden flakes of dust falling from above the rafters of the ceiling.

Smiling in bemusement and understanding, Aqua craned her head back, looking straight up at the ceiling.

And lo and behold, Stitch stared back down, big eyes narrowed and teeth bared.

The blue furball's angry look fell away upon seeing Aqua had spotted him, instead becoming a toothy grin, ears raised, the angle of Aqua's vision and Stitch's position making him look cuter than usual.

Terra was stumped for a moment when he was unable to locate the source of the voice that had come to his only defense. He looked back at Aqua about to ask her if she had any better luck, but stopped, blinking in confusion when he saw her staring up at the ceiling, her lips curved into a small smile. Wondering if he would ever know what was going on, Terra followed her gaze hesitantly. His cobalt eyes blinked, his expression wondrous before he found himself smiling as well.

When Leon saw the two just staring up at the ceiling, smiling dreamily, he scowled before quickly looking up as well. Merlin saw everyone staring up at the ceiling and while he had no idea what everyone was looking at, he didn't what to just stand there and decided to look up as well.

When the gunblade slinger and wizard saw Stitch grinning down at Terra and Aqua, Merlin chuckle, never un-amused by the alien's antics. Leon's scowl softened but he let out a "Tch," as well.

Stitch's ears twitched, catching the derisive sound and the little experiment turned his gaze onto Leon, his angry scowl returning.

Stitch barked at the leather-clad swordsmen, "Terra help! Terra strong! Strongest there is!"

Aqua covered her mouth, eyes closing in bliss as she stifled her sudden giggles, Merlin chuckling as well, adjusting his glasses while his eyes twinkled in mirth. Terra himself just groaned lowly, rubbing his face in a weak attempt to hide his embarrassment. Leon smirked at Stitch's words. "Strongest there is, eh?" Aqua looked at Leon, her eyes curious while Terra just shot him a glare from behind his hands' fingers.

While the earth warrior only heard mocking, the water maiden heard something else.

Intrigue.

Stitch nodded fiercely. "Yeah! Yeah!" The blue furball suddenly pushed away from the ceiling, jumping down and landing on Terra's shoulder, causing the dark haired male to yelp and stumble slightly. Stitch glared at Leon from his new perch, snarling out, "Terra strong! Make ground shake and break!"

Leon only continued to smirk.

But Aqua and Merlin suddenly had the intrigued looks now.

Aqua, "'Shake and break'?" She asked the blue alien.

Stitch nodded eagerly. Stitch, "Yeah! Cracka kroom BOOM!" Terra groaned again, loudly, completely embarrassed despite Stitch's good intentions.

Merlin moved closer towards Aqua and Terra, his expression towards Stitch thoughtful. Merlin, "Terra, my boy, if what I think Stitch is saying is true…can you still use magic despite your lack of Keyblade?"

Terra shifted a little before meeting Merlin's questioning gaze uncomfortably. Terra, "Yeah…I can. But…" He looked at his hand, remembering how drained he had felt after using Quake.

And the feelings of utter rage before it.

Aqua gasped a little, gazing at Terra in shock. Aqua, "You used magic yesterday?"

Terra nodded, still staring at his hand. Terra, "But I was exhausted afterwards."

Merlin rubbed his beard, eyes curious. "What spell was it?" He asked.

Terra met the wizards' gaze as he responded, "Quake. Why?"

Merlin scoffed. "Well no wonder then! Such a high level of magic would leave even a wizard of my caliber a little breathless! And here you are, not even an experienced mage, throwing it around wily nily!"

Terra sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"And he's not very good at spell casting to begin with," Aqua innocently added.

Terra slowly turned to look at Aqua, eyes narrowed. She just smiled back, arms behind her back. And Terra found his annoyance disappearing in seconds.

Stitch looked between the two, noticing their smile before smiling himself, cackling a little. Terra shot the furball a glare, shutting him up but not wiping the mischievous look on the alien's face. Merlin scoffed again before flicking his wrist, slipping his wand into his hand.

Merlin, "Magic for some comes much easier than for others. Like myself and miss Aqua, magic is as natural as breathing, but for warriors like Terra and Leon, it is more difficult." He flicked his wand, sparks of blue and pink discharging a little. Merlin looked at Terra from behind his spectacles.

Merlin, "Now, young Terra, what is the easiest spell you know?" Terra didn't have to think hard about that one. "Fire." He responded evenly.

Merlin nodded, unsurprised. Merlin, "An effective beginners spell." Then the old wizard twirled his wand, red and orange sparks traveling around it. He flicked it towards Terra and the sparks discharged, showering Terra in a burst of small flares.

The earth warrior and the blue furball on his shoulder watched in slight awe as the flares landed on his cloak, sinking in and vanishing in small puffs of smoke. Aqua watched silently, feeling the familiar tell-tell tingle of magic in the air along with a pleasant burning sensation.

Terra raised his hand, looking over the leather glove over it, Stitch watching curiously as well. Terra closed his eyes in a brief concentration-

And instantly and easily flames appeared in his hand.

Stitch yelped, nearly tumbling off of Terra's shoulder but managed to catch himself, though Terra winced when he felt the alien's claws digging into his back, causing him to lose focus and for the fire to dispel.

Merlin adjusted his glasses, smiling, pleased. Merlin, "There. I've refined your skill with Fire magic and it should come much easier to you now. Even though you've lost the Keyblade, your magical potential is still there and just needs a little tweaking."

The wizard suddenly turned to Aqua, who had watched the whole exchange, his smile widening. Merlin, "I'm sure miss Aqua can help you there."

Instantly the water maiden's ivory cheeks reddened with a gasp and she quickly looked away, making Merlin blink in bewilderment. Terra cleared his throat, also looking uncomfortable. Merlin looked at him curiously as well but shrugged, deciding to let it go. It was just a suggestion.

The wizard looked back at Leon and said, "He has the means to defend himself and help us now. I don't see why he can't come along."

Leon didn't respond, casting Terra a glance. The earth warrior once more met his gaze evenly, even challengingly. Then he looked back at Merlin and said, "Not every Heartless goes down with just one Fire spell."

Stitch growled in annoyance and before anyone could react, leapt off Terra's shoulder and onto the floor, brandishing two of his blasters. Stitch looked up at Leon, but didn't raise his weapons and instead barked, "Noosta tikki brak! Sta meeka re!"

Terra cocked his head, confused, while Leon just stared back at Stitch, unfazed. Merlin adjusted his glasses. Merlin, "Oh, my. What is he going on about now?"

Aqua however, had a sudden knowing look. She crouched down closer to Stitch's level before asking, "Stitch, are you saying…"

The blue alien blinked, looking back at Aqua, then Terra. Then he looked back at Aqua and said, "Help! Stitch help!"

Aqua smiled, looking back at Terra. Aqua, "You heard him Terra. He wants to help you."

Terra looked at Stitch, the blue furball staring up at the taller warrior with big hopeful sighs. Terra sighed, eyes closing, smiling despite himself. Terra, "Stitch…"

Merlin smiled as well, while Leon just sighed. Leon, "Fine. If you want to tag along, be my guest." And with that, the leather clad man made his towards the door without another word and was gone. Both Terra and Stitch glared at the door he had left through.

Terra, "He really gets on my nerves…"

Stitch nodded. "Ig."

Aqua rose back up slowly, giving Terra a worried look. Terra saw her unsure gaze and asked, "What?"

Aqua bit her lip, not responding for a few seconds. Then, she hesitantly replied, "I still don't think you should go with us."

Terra sighed. Terra, "Really? Still? Come on, I've got Stitch covering my back." At that the blue furball leapt onto Terra's back, peeking over the warrior's shoulder and grinning toothily at Aqua. Terra winced but also smiled. Terra, "And you know with him backing me up, there's nothing to worry about." Aqua still looked at Terra with worry, but found herself smiling hesitantly, unable to resist their infectious grins.

Merlin was smiling as well. Merlin, "Quite. I'm sure Stitch will prove more than capable of protecting young Terra, though now that his Fire magic has been improved he can defend himself accordingly." Aqua nodded, looking even more relieved, and let out a small sigh.

Merlin adjusted his glasses and said, "Well, I can see you two are ready but I must get properly dressed before heading back downstairs. Leon will be waiting for us and in the meantime, do whatever else you need to get ready." Terra and Aqua nodded, but didn't move immediately. There was really nothing else they could, they were dressed and awake, and in Terra's case, eager to go.

Merlin moved towards the door to the hallway but stopped suddenly, looking back towards Terra and Aqua. For once the old wizard's jovial expression was replaced by a much more serious one. Merlin, "I should warn you two…The Heartless greatest strength is in their numbers. You must work with the others if you want any hope of surviving."

The mood in the room considerably darkened as Merlin turned and exited, leaving Terra and Aqua alone with Stitch. Aqua shuddered after a moment. She could just imagine those terrible creatures…Their black bodies and hungry yellow eyes…

A flash of cruel amber orbs flashed in her minds' eye and she gasped quietly.

"Aqua?"

Said blue haired Keyblade mistress snapped out of her sudden daze, looking at Terra, slightly flustered by his intense and worried gaze. Stitch also peering at her over Terra's shoulder with those big black eyes of his didn't exactly help matters. Terra stared at her, cobalt eyes filled with concern. Terra, "You okay? You look a little pale."

Aqua nodded, slowly, brushing her slightly damp locks. Aqua, "Y-yeah. Just…a little nervous, I guess." Terra nodded in understanding, but grinned. Terra, "Don't worry. I'm not going on my own this time. It's the two of us, and nothing can beat us."

Aqua nodded, finishing herself smiling as well, Terra's confidence rubbing onto her. Stitch suddenly leapt up, grinning and barking happily, "Igara!"

Terra and Aqua both looked at Stitch, smiling amusedly. Terra looked back at Aqua and said, "I think that's his way of saying he agrees."

Aqua giggled again, looking at Terra and Stitch and smiling. Terra smiled back, Stitch grinning toothily as well.

The tensions and embarrassment of the night before were completely forgotten.

* * *

Merlin reentered the study dressed in his traditional blue robes and cap and the group headed downstairs on the podium.

Cid was, of course, still working at his computer, accompanied by Aerith as well. The blond pilot typed away at his keyboard, chewing his toothpick as he did, offering Terra and Aqua s simple two fingered salute as Merlin led them towards the door out. Aerith waved as well, surprising Aqua as the flower girl called, "Goodbye guys! See you later!"

Aqua, "You're not coming?" She asked. Aerith shook her head, her smile faltering a little, but not fading. Aerith, "Leon thinks it for the best I stay here." Cid snorted at that. Aqua agreed with that, her dislike of the scarred man growing. Terra didn't look too concerned though. While Aerith was a competent healer, he had no idea if she was capable of defending herself. Though he could relate to the frustration she might be feeling.

Stitch spotted Sparky, still in his glass container and waved to his cousin. Stitch, "Bye!"

Sparky looked back at Stitch, blue eyes confused slightly, but he waved back before returning his attention to Cid. Aqua also waved to Aerith, though her expression was slightly sad. The flower girl offered the bluenette a smile and wink that instantly made her cheer up.

The group headed outside, where Leon was waiting up ahead by an alleyway to the stairs that led into the bailey, once more wearing his leather jacket over his white shirt, gunblade sheathed at his hip. Upon spotting them Leon beckoned them with a wave. Leon, "Come on."

Then he turned and headed for the stairs. And both Terra and Aqua spotted the set of red angel wings on the back of the surly young man's jacket. They both stared at the wings, rather confused. But they didn't have time to ponder their meaning and followed after Leon, Merlin and Stitch by their sides.

The short to the steps and the ascent of them was made in silence.

The events of only a few days ago were on both Aqua's and Terra's minds as they reached the top of the stairs and onto the walkway of the city wall.

With his back to them, neither male nor female could see Leon's expression or reaction to being back up here with them, or even if he had one at all. Both Merlin and Stitch did however suddenly look uncomfortable, Stitch even making small moaning noises upon spotting several small craters and dark, faded splotches of red on the ground. Aqua noticed them as well, her lips falling into a frown. She looked at Terra, eyes concerned, but he avoided her eyes entirely, keeping them straight ahead.

Aqua wanted to say something, anything, but chose not too.

Now wasn't the time for words.

Leon led them past the opened passageway into the bailey, Aqua, Terra and Stitch close behind-

'Clang!'

Both Terra and Aqua jumped, whirling around and seeing Merlin standing behind them, with an iron-gate suddenly between himself and them.

Terra gasped, eyes narrowing in suspicion as he looked back at Leon and snapped, "Hey, what gives?" Leon looked back, scowling in annoyance.

Merlin looked up at the sound of Terra's voice, his look confused for a moment before he smiled cheerfully and replied, "Oh, so sorry my dear boy! I forgot to tell you that I won't be accompanying you all to the castle. Aerith, Cid and I will be watching over the town in your absence."

Aqua nodded, figuring that made the most sense. Like Leon said, there was nothing to really stop the Heartless from suddenly deciding to head into town. She looked back at Terra, watching him slowly loosen up from his sudden tension, though very reluctantly by the looks of it. Merlin gave them a cheery wave, smiling as he said, "I shall see you all, and in good health, later!"

Aqua smiled back, returning his wave and saying, "See you later, Merlin." Stitch scuttled forward, waving back enthusiastically, "Bye!"

While Terra returned the wave, he did not say anything, while Leon just crossed his arms, waiting for them to start moving again. Merlin flicked his wand and vanished in a burst of magical blue and pink smoke, leaving the group alone behind the gate. Terra and Aqua looked back at Leon.

Without another word he resumed his walk, turning right and entering the bailey. Terra and Aqua followed after, Stitch scuttling by Terra, not moving nearly as fast as he had yesterday, looking up at the two taller humans every now and then. Aqua also glanced at Terra, noticing he still looked a little tense. Gathering her courage, she reached out, gently stroking his arm.

He flinched, but didn't shy away from her touch. He looked at her, cobalt eyes confused. She smiled. Aqua, "Together this time, remember? Nothing to worry about." The last part was more to herself, but she just wanted to ease Terra's worries.

The earth warrior nodded, smiling back slightly. Terra, "Right." Stitch suddenly took the opportunity to leap back onto the male's shoulder, making him stumble again. The earth warrior cast the alien a wry glance while Aqua once more covered her mouth to stifle her giggles. Stitch grinned and said, "To-ge-ther!" Enunciating each syllable.

Terra rolled his eyes in good humor. He patted Stitch on his head, ruffling his ears. Terra, "Yeah, together." He looked back at Aqua, seeing her smile, really smile at him.

It made him think of that morning…

"Hey!"

Terra blinked, snapping out of his daze, while Aqua looked down the stairs, spotting Leon by another gate that led into a cliff passage that was being constructed over. Leon glared up at the three before saying, "We don't have time to waste. Let's move."

With that he headed past the open gate, continuing forward towards the ominous castle looming overhead. Instead of getting annoyed like usual, Aqua and Terra just exchanged amused looks. Terra, "Does he ever loosen up?" He asked as they walked down the stairs.

Aqua cast Terra a wry glance, her blue brow cocked slightly. Aqua, "As I recall, you can be pretty stubborn too."

Terra scoffed at that. Terra, "Yeah, but not like him."

The earth warrior then gave Aqua a look as well. "And who are you calling stubborn?"

Leon felt his annoyance growing, baffled by the smiles and laughter from the two. Didn't they understand how serious this situation was? The gunblade slinger was standing in the middle of the construction pathway to the castle, waiting for Terra and Aqua, plus Stitch, to catch up to him already.

Leon bristled a little as more of the lingering morning mist continued to roll away as the sun climbed higher into the purple sky above. Leon cast a glance above, shielding his icy blue eyes with his gloved hand before looking back and finally spotting Terra and Aqua, Stitch once more on the taller male's shoulder. Both of them were looking over the area, particularly the spots that were already covered over in metal to form the path. Leon was annoyed at their slow pace but at least they were finally catching up.

He turned and resumed walking towards the castle, where Yuffie, and hopefully Tifa and Cloud were waiting for them already-

Leon stopped suddenly, his whole body shuddering. He blinked, confused by the sudden feelings of trepidation-

Up ahead, the mist shifted, parting not on its' own accord as someone moved through it.

Behind Leon, both Terra and Aqua had noticed his sudden stopping and the strange feeling in the cold air. Stitch was more reactive, growling and baring his teeth, the spines on his back rising as he leapt off Terra's shoulder and landed in front of the two, crouched on all fours and glaring at the parting mist in front of Leon.

Leon's hand twitched towards his gunblade's hilt, his blue eyes narrowed as he tried to pierce past the mist obscuring the approaching figure-

White mist gave way to black clothes, a head of spiky blonde locks and a set of piercing blue eyes.

Leon blinked, his hand moving away from his weapon and he let out a relieved breath, smiling slightly. Leon, "So, you did decide to show."

Terra and Aqua didn't look nearly as relieved as Leon did upon spotting the darkly clad fighter who had nearly ended Terra's new life with one swing of his blade. Stitch did not cease his growling, hackles still raised and ready.

Cloud didn't respond, only kept walking forward, freeing himself from the icy mist.

And revealing the massive bandaged blade sheathed across his back.

The silent blonde moved past the scarred brunette.

And towards Terra and Aqua, his electric blue gaze locked onto Terra's cobalt orbs.

Leon watched Cloud continue his march towards Terra and Aqua and he asked, "Cloud, what are you doing?" His voice was tense, edging towards something that sounded almost like panic.

Cloud didn't even look back as he responded simply, "I didn't come here to help get rid of a few Heartless." And then his right arm slowly moved up and back. Towards the hilt of his sword.

Leon gasped, eyes widening while Stitch's growl intensified. Leon moved forward, calling, "Cloud! There's no time for this!"

But the blonde ignored Leon's words and continued towards Terra and Aqua, his hand still moving towards his sword's hilt.

Stitch lunged forward with a snarl-

But came to a dead halt when Cloud shot him an irritated glare.

The sight of those blue eyes was more than enough to make Stitch scamper back, whimpering submissively. The blue alien scuttled backwards until he was safely behind Aqua's legs, looking back at Cloud once before hiding his eyes with his long ears. Aqua looked down on Stitch in complete shock. Never once had she seen the small furball back down from an enemy even ten times his size. She looked back at the silent warrior, remembering him brandish that massive weapon like it weighed nothing.

Terra hardly noticed Stitch's sudden fear or Aqua's growing one, keeping his eyes locked on the familiar opponent who had defeated him effortlessly. But that was then…

Terra clenched his fist, feeling the familiar rise of magic. And this was now. He may not have a weapon, but he was far from defenseless this time.

Aqua moved ahead of Terra, raising her right arm out, hand open. Aqua, "You should listen to your friend. This isn't the time or place to settle whatever you have against Terra. Now step aside!"

Cloud spared her nothing more than a single bored glance as he came to a stop, still three feet away from the warrior and maiden. Then he returned his attention back on Terra, his hand finally gripping the hilt of his sword, the sound of metal shifting filling the canyon. Both Leon and Aqua gasped as Cloud began to unsheathe his blade.

Leon quickly stepped forward, shouting as he did, "Cloud, what's gotten into you?" Once again, the silent warrior ignored him entirely.

Aqua didn't say anything but moved in front of Terra, bringing her hand down as she did, pink light flashing and ethereal petals swirling-

And suddenly Aqua found herself pulled back, Terra having grabbed her by her shoulder and pushed her back, gently, but forcefully. Aqua couldn't protest in time as Terra moved in front of her-

And there was a flash of light as the earth warrior suddenly had the tip of a blade at his throat.

Aqua gasped, her sapphire eyes widening while Leon stared in shock.

Terra stood dead still as the tip of the sword poked against the adams apple of his throat.

Cloud had not reached for his larger, bandaged wrapped blade, but a smaller one, with a steel double-edged blade, with a golden reverse guard and a long hilt wrapped in a blue materiel.

For a moment, there was utter silence, no one daring to move.

Cloud stared at Terra's face, studying him intently for any reaction. Terra steeled himself, showing no fear or any sign of weakness. Leon and Aqua weren't so calm, Aqua having to fight her racing heart and instincts to jump in and protect her friend, knowing that even a single wrong move would spell Terra's end, while Leon was slowly moving forward, hand on his gunblade's hilt.

What happened next was even more shocking then when Cloud initially brandished the blade.

The spiky blonde stepped back, shifting his arm and tossing the blade into the air, where it spun before he caught again, holding it backwards now, sword now pointed behind him and towards Leon.

With the hilt presented to Terra.

Before the earth warrior even had a chance to blink, Cloud simply said, "Here."

Everyone did a double take at that, Stitch raising his right ear away from his eye to peak curiously while growling a little, "Hurr?"

Terra stared at the offered blade for a moment before looking back at Cloud distrustfully. Terra, "You must be joking. Or is this kind of trick?'

Cloud's expression remained unreadable. "No trick." He replied simply, hilt still held out in offer.

Terra looked back at the offered sword warily. Then he glanced back at Cloud and replied firmly, "I don't need your pity or a handout."

Cloud's expression remained infuriatingly blank. He did not lower the offered weapon, only continued to stare at Terra with his glowing blue eyes. Then, he finally spoke again.

Cloud, "Do you really think the Heartless will be fazed by a little fire?" Terra flinched. Then the blonde warrior smirked.

"Or will a piece of rebar get the job done like it did before?"

Terra's temper flared and with a savage intake of breath he reached out and snatched the hilt of the sword before moving back, blade raised by his side while his left arm was raised slightly as well, his traditional battle stance. Aqua gasped while Stitch's ears shot up and his big eyes bugged out. Leon gasped sharply, hand now firmly grasping his gunblade's hilt.

But Cloud made no move. The dark warrior just smirked at Terra's glare before moving past him, casing the earth warrior to blink and whirl around to watch Cloud leave. Terra, "Hey! What gives?"

Cloud looked over his shoulder as he replied simply, "Like they said: This isn't the best time to settle this." He glanced at the sword in Terra's hand before looking back at the warrior's face. Cloud, "You can borrow that for now. Think of it as a loan."

He then looked back at Leon and called, "I'll cover the bailey. No Heartless will get through here. The others are waiting up ahead." Leon blinked, stunned by Cloud's strange actions. The gunblade slinger called back, "We might need your help inside the castle."

Cloud smirked, casually looking back over his shoulder as he responded, "It's just a few Heartless." Leon smirked back. "Yeah, but what if one more shows up?" Cloud chuckled, then resumed walking as he replied simply, "Then that'll be the one I'll handle." While Aqua and Terra had no idea what the two were talking about, Cloud's words made Leon smirk back.

And without another word or look towards any of them, Cloud resumed walking, disappearing around the corner and into the bailey.

Aqua watched him leave in a combination of confusion, disbelief and relief. Mostly relief. Stitch peaked around from his hiding spot behind her legs, shivering. "Scary."

Aqua nodded numbly. No argument there.

Terra meanwhile, was looking over his new 'loaner' sword. He paused, eyes narrowing thoughtfully when he spotted a strange logo embedded on the guard of the hilt. It looked…familiar.

But he just couldn't place where he had seen it before.

In fact, the entire sword was sparking feelings of familiarity in him.

Terra looked away from the blade when he heard approaching footsteps and saw Aqua moving by his side again, Stitch quickly scuttling back up his back and onto his shoulder. Terra rolled his shoulders, adjusting himself to Stitch's weight, though he was quickly becoming use to him being there now. Both Aqua and Stitch were eyeing his new sword hesitantly. Then Aqua looked at Terra and asked, "What was that about?"

Terra shrugged, causing Stitch to shift a little. Terra, "Beats me. But hey," He twirled the sword, trying to get use to it's feel and quickly found it weighed a bit more than he thought but was also balanced well. Not a bad blade at all.

He grinned at Aqua, proudly displaying his new sword. "I've got an actual weapon now."

Aqua didn't share Terra's enthusiasm, still looking at the blade with distrust. She heard footsteps and looked over, seeing Leon moving towards them, also eyeing the blade with his icy blue eyes. Aqua glared at him and said, "Can't you reign in your subordinates?"

Leon glanced at her brow raised. Leon, "I'm not some general or leader. We're a group, all of us working together." He turned his gaze towards the spot Cloud had left to. Then he turned back towards the path to the castle before speaking again. "He's not a part of the Committee. He only involves himself when he feels like it." He started walking again, calling back to Terra and Aqua as he did, "We've wasted enough time. The others are waiting, but the Heartless aren't."

Aqua looked at Terra one last time, sapphire orbs filled with worry before following after the leather clad swordsmen. Terra looked at Stitch, who peered back curiously, then lowered his new sword and trudged after Aqua and Leon, straight ahead for the massive castle before them.

* * *

Yuffie sighed impatiently, leaning farther back on the railing of the metal platform she and Tifa had been waiting on for the last half hour.

The ninja girl groaned, then leaned forward, elbows on her knees with her jaw supported by her hands as she sighed again, louder this time. She looked at her only companion for any kind of reaction. Tifa was just leaning against another rail, eyes closed as she took in several deep breaths, no doubt preparing for the battles ahead. Yuffie glanced down at her feet at the basket of items Leon had told her to buy. There wasn't a lot to go around…

The ninja girl sighed. She really wished Leon had let Aerith come. Yuffie hadn't been too surprised that only Tifa showed up. Cloud was, of course, utterly unreliable in times of crisis.

"Stupid spiky…" She mumbled.

At that she got a burgundy eyed glare from Tifa. Yuffie looked back at her, genuinely confused. Yuffie, "What? I'm just saying what were both thinking."

Tifa just exhaled through her nostrils and reached into her the front pockets of her black skirt over her shorts, pulling out her gloves, also black, and began to slip them on. Yuffie blanched and waved her arms out. Yuffie, "Ack! Wait, no! I'm sorry Tifa! I didn't mean it, honest!"

The darkly clad beauty just rolled her eyes, both gloves on now and she flexed her fingers, popping several joints. Ignoring the flailing and pleading ninja, Tifa turned her rusty eyes on Yuffie and asked, "They're still not here. Don't you think one of us should go and look for them?"

Yuffie blinked at that. She sensed an ulterior motive. They really couldn't afford to have Tifa run off after Cloud again. But before she could think of a response, she spotted movement just over Tifa's shoulders.

Looking past the taller woman, Yuffie smiled in relief when she saw it was Leon, but her eyes widened when she saw he wasn't alone. Along with him was Terra and Aqua, plus Stitch perched on Terra's shoulder. Frowning, her hands on her hips, Yuffie asked aloud, "What are they doing here?"

Blinking, Tifa looked back, following Yuffie's gaze, while the younger girl jumped off the rail.

In moments Leon and his group were by the two women, and the leather clad gunblade wielder was confronted by one very irked ninja. Yuffie glared up at Leon, hands on her hips. Leon raised a brow, scowling. Leon, "What?" Yuffie scoffed. Yuffie, "What is right! What took you all so long? And why are they here?" She pointed an accusing finger at Terra and Aqua. Terra rolled his eyes while Aqua just shook her head. Stitch however, blew the ninja girl a raspberry.

Leon glanced at Terra out of the corner of his eye, glaring at Stitch before replying back to Yuffie, "A distraction. I'll explain later. Did you get the items?"

Yuffie blinked, not understanding at all, but Leon didn't elaborate any more and so she nodded, leading him towards the basket.

Tifa gazed at the newcomers curiously, the blue haired woman staring back, sapphire eyes full of hesitant mistrust. Tifa wasn't sure why though. She turned her ruby orbs to the taller, dark haired male, who wasn't paying the martial artist the slightest bit of attention. Instead his dark cobalt gaze was on the looming castle. His eyes sparkled with something like…Recognition?

Tifa didn't have any more time to think it over when a sudden light flashing by the cloaked male caught her attention. Blinking, she glanced down at his right leg-

Tifa's rust colored eyes widened when she saw the familiar sword in the stranger's hand and she gasped a little louder than she should have. This caught the attention of the blue haired woman, who looked back at Tifa, the darker haired woman quickly trying to avert her gaze but it was too late.

Aqua frowned when the new woman gasped upon looking at Terra's new sword. She looked at Terra, but her companion hadn't even noticed yet, his eyes still locked on the castle towering over them. There was a strange glint in his eyes. Looking back at the rust eyed woman, Aqua asked carefully, "Is there something wrong?"

The dark haired beauty shook her head, maybe a bit too quickly. "Uh, no…it's just…" She looked away from Aqua and back towards Terra. "Um, excuse me? Sir?" Terra blinked, finally looking away from the castle and at the strange woman. Terra looked at her, caught off guard momentarily by her looks.

She was beautiful to say the least, with waist length black hair, several locks tucked behind her left ear, her eyes a curious burgundy red. Like Cloud and Leon, she was dressed in all black, but Terra saw no weapon. While momentarily distracted by her looks, he was able to recover quickly.

While to most other men she would have no rivals, she was nothing compared to the blue haired goddess next to him.

At that thought Terra froze, praying he wasn't blushing.

Had he REALLY just thought that?

Terra was broken from his sudden thoughts by the red eyed woman once again as she said something he didn't catch and he stupidly replied, "Huh?"

"I said, 'Where did you get that sword'?" Her rusty eyes were now trained on his new blade, the 'gift' from Cloud. Terra stared at the blade as well, and Aqua also looked down on it, her expression still displeased and untrusting. Terra looked back at the dark haired woman and replied simply, "It's…a loan."

The woman stared at him for another moment, her expression curious. Then, she nodded, accepting the answer despite its' vagueness.

Aqua found herself wondering about this woman already. While a little shy and mysterious, she wasn't openly mistrusting them like Leon and Yuffie had. The woman continued to stare at Terra, her burgundy eyes falling on his sword. Aqua felt herself bristle a little. She didn't like the way she was staring at Terra at all.

That thought made her freeze up, her cheeks heating once again.

Where in the world had that come from? She quickly looked at Terra, hoping he hadn't noticed.

But, thank all the worlds, Terra hadn't notice, his attention once more back on the castle.

But he jerked suddenly as Stitch leapt off his shoulder with an ecstatic cry of "Tifa!" and lunged at the dark haired beauty.

But 'Tifa' was faster, easily catching Stitch with both of her hands, holding him a little ways out. Both Terra and Aqua did a double take. They honestly hadn't seen Tifa's quick reflexes. One moment she had just stood there, the next she was holding Stitch.

Tifa smirked coyly at the grinning furball who was trying his hardest to look cute. Tifa smiled back and said, "I missed you too Stitch."

The alien let out a happy cackle, grinning widely at Tifa. The three found themselves smiling at Stitch's antics. The blue furball squirmed in Tifa's grasp suddenly, and upon wriggling his way free, leapt back onto Terra's shoulder. The brunette cast the alien a bemused, and slightly irked, glance. Still grinning, Stitch looked back at Tifa and said, "Terra," Pointing a claw at the brunette male. "Ah-koo, wah," Then the blue haired female.

The alien grinned back at Tifa.

"Stitch frens!"

Tifa was unable to stop smiling, finding Stitch to funny for words. Tifa, "Are they now?" Her rusty eyes looked over Terra and Aqua again. Then, the brawler beauty smiled back at Stitch and said, "Well, any friend of yours is a definite friend of mine."

This made the two smile back at Tifa, Terra finally looking away from the castle, though he took one last look out of the corner of his eye. Aqua found herself liking this woman already. Stitch let out a happy cackle, delighted so many of his new friends liked his first ones.

"Are you all done with the introductions yet?"

The three turned and saw Leon and Yuffie walking back over. Stitch glared at Yuffie, who returned the look, but neither did anything. Leon did a quick look over of everyone present. Five capable fighters, well, six counting Stitch.

He held up the basket filled with potions and ethers. Leon, "There's not much, so take what you need, but nothing else." Everyone glanced at the basket, no one moving at first. Then Yuffie snatched three potions, and Tifa grabbed two, carefully placing them into pockets on the front of her skirt. Aqua grabbed two ethers while Terra took three potions as well. This left four potions and three ethers, and Leon took two of each, allowing Yuffie to snatch up the remainders.

Leon raised a brow as he watched the ninja stuff her shorts with the items. She looked back at him, none the wiser as to why he was glaring at her. Yuffie, "What? And let all these good items go to waste?"

Leon sighed in aggravation while everyone else just held themselves in check. Leon turned his attention away from the klepto ninja and addressed the others. Leon, "As you should know by now there are at least two hundred Heartless inside the castle right now. Probably more, and the Heartless become extremely dangerous if their numbers are allowed to grow unchecked. We're here to make sure they don't get into town and harm any innocent people."

He paused looking over them all again. They had all sobered up, even Yuffie, expressions grim and serious. And ready.

Resuming, Leon said, "There's only two points from the castle the Heartless can use to get access to town. The front gate, which leads directly into the square. From there, they would have easy running through the whole town. The second is here, from the hallway," He turned, pointing down the walkway and at a recently made doorway in the castle side. "There. But there's not a lot of room for them in there. These are the spots they're going to try and overrun. Now, where their most likely gathering is in the catacombs."

At the mere mention of those dark, sunken passages, both Yuffie and Tifa flinched, well, Tifa flinched, Yuffie flat out shuddered. Terra and Aqua exchanged glances, while Stitch cocked his head curiously, big eyes blinking.

Leon nodded, agreeing with the two women. Leon, "We're going to split up into three groups. Yuffie, Tifa, Aqua. I want you three at the front hall between the Heartless and the gate to town. That's where most of them will likely head."

At that, Terra narrowed his eyes and frowned. One, he didn't like the idea of being separated from Aqua and he definitely didn't like the idea of her being confronted by all those Heartless, especially with Yuffie as back up. He didn't know what Tifa was capable of, but even if he did he still likely wouldn't too happy.

The earth warrior gave Leon a look. Leon met his gaze evenly and further elaborated. "I want our only Keyblade wielder there. This will draw the Heartless further down from the upper levels. It's risky but I'm confident Tifa and Yuffie can protect Aqua and help her destroy them."

Terra hissed through gritted teeth. The Heartless were DRAWN to the Keyblade? Oh, he most definitely did not like this at all.

Aqua raised a brow at Leon's comment about Yuffie and Tifa protecting her. Was he just using her as bait for the Heartless? She clenched her fist tightly.

This water maiden was no helpless damsel. She could, and had, hold her own with the worst kinds of monsters imaginable.

Yuffie smugly crossed her arms and smirked at Aqua. Yuffie, "Don' slow us down to much, blue." Aqua's eye twitched at the 'blue' comment. But before she could retort, Tifa looked at her curiously.

Tifa, "You can use a Keyblade?"

Aqua blinked, looking away from the smirking ninja and at the dark haired woman, noting the sudden intrigue in her ruby eyes. Aqua didn't respond for a moment, but nodded after a while. Aqua, "Yes, I'm a Keyblade Master."

"Not a very good one," Yuffie muttered under her breath.

Tifa shot the younger girl a glare before looking at Aqua one more time and nodding back, smiling in interest. Aqua blinked but didn't have a chance to give any further thought when Leon spoke again, this time addressing Terra.

Leon, "Terra, I want you and Stitch in the hallways through there," He said as he pointed at the open passageway once again. "They're narrow, so there's not a lot of fighting room, but plenty of space for enough Heartless to try and barrel through."

Terra's eyes remained narrowed, and the frown refused to vanish. He really didn't want to leave Aqua alone, well, she wasn't really alone, but he didn't want to leave her side…

Terra's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden shifting on his shoulder as Stitch spoke up. "Stitch help Terra!"

Leon looked at the blue alien, for once not glaring at him. Leon, "Between the two of you, you should be more than able at handling the Heartless in the hallways."

Terra really wanted to protest, but Leon kept talking, not giving him a chance. Leon, "I'll head into the catacombs on my own. Once you're sure your area's clear, I want us all to meet up in Ansem the Wise's study. We'll contact Cid from his computer there."

The scarred man finished at that, and Terra once more was about to voice his complaint about being separated from Aqua, but once again, was denied his chance. This time by Yuffie. Yuffie, "We're not going to cover the entire castle?"

Leon shook his head, dark locks moving a bit at the sudden motion. Leon, "Too much ground. We have to hope Cid will have figured out a way to estimate how many Heartless are left by the time we contact him."

The leather clad gunblade wielder looked over the small group once again. Leon, "You've got your orders and you know where to go." With that said, he turned and headed off, moving down a separate walkway for the catacombs beneath the castle, where no doubt dozens of hungry Heartless waited.

Yuffie bounced once before declaring, "Let's go girls!" And raced off in the opposite direction of Leon, towards the front of the castle.

While the girl annoyed him more than any other person he had ever met, Terra had to admit she had a lot of energy.

Tifa moved to follow after Yuffie, though at much slower pace, Aqua soon following after her.

Terra watched her move away from him, instantly missing her, even though she hadn't left his sight yet. His empty hand flexed reflexively by his side, his grip on his new sword tightening. Just before Aqua had gone too far ahead, Terra called after her.

"Aqua!"

The water maiden came to a stop, looking back at the earth warrior.

Terra didn't know what to say, but he had to say something.

Smiling with confidence he didn't feel for once, he said simply, "Take care of yourself."

Aqua smiled back, nodding and replying, "You too." She then looked at Stitch, the blue alien still perched on Terra's shoulder. "You'll watch over him for me, won't you Stitch?"

Stitch eagerly nodded, grinning. "Yeah! Yeah! Stitch keep Terra safe! Stitch promise!"

Terra groaned at the alien, but was unable to resist a smile.

Aqua smiled back at the two.

It was dazzling.

Once more, the earth warrior found himself blinking at his strange thoughts towards Aqua.

The water maiden looked back at him one last time before turning and catching up with Tifa. The ruby eyed woman had paused to silently watch the exchange between the two and when Aqua walked past her, Tifa looked back at Terra.

The dark haired male caught her staring and was unable to help his sudden blush when he saw her smiling as well, a secretive, knowing smile. Then she turned and followed after Aqua, her long black skirt billowing slightly.

Terra sighed deeply, twirling his sword by his side unconsciously, while on his shoulder, Stitch shifted to peer at Terra's still flushed face. The alien let out a cackle that caused Terra to glare at him and roughly shift his shoulders, catching Stitch off guard and causing him to slide off and onto the metal walkway with a painful 'clang!'

Stitch yelped, and stopped his cackling to rub his aching head. He growled at Terra, mumbling, "Tooki tiba…"

Terra raised a brow at that. Terra, "And the same to you….whatever is it you said."

Stitch sat up, letting out a "Hmph!" and crossed two of his arms. Terra stared down on the small alien and sighed. Terra, "Alright, sorry."

Stitch grinned, lowering his arms.

Then both of them looked at the lowered walkway ahead that led to the open passageway into the castle.

Terra stared at it for what felt like a long time, his cobalt eyes trying and failing to see past the shadows surrounding it.

Then, after another moment, he started towards it, his heavy boots making a loud clanking sound on the metal plates under him. Stitch scuttled after him, claws clicking as well, though in much more rapid pace.

In moments they both stood in front of the passageway.

Terra stared up at it, his blue eyes filled with…worry.

There was a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach…But at the same time it was familiar…He knew what it was, as he had only just experienced it yesterday.

It was the same feeling he had gotten in the cave…

The sensation of being drawn to something…

Stitch looked up at Terra, cocking his head as the earth warrior continued to stand there, unmoving. Stitch, "Terra?"

The sound of his alien companion was enough to snap Terra out of his daze, like it had yesterday.

Terra looked down on the blue furball, smiling. Terra, "Come on, Stitch. Into the belly of the beast we go." And with that he moved forward, stepping into the shadows, disappearing in moments. After a moment, Stitch followed after.

Being swallowed by the beast was the easy part…

Fighting your way out alive was the hard part.

* * *

Oi...(pops neck.)

July has not been my month.

Not much happens in this chapter, I consider it filler. But then again I've redone the math and outline on this story. It's now going to be about twice as long as Lingering Vengeance was, so fourteen chapters.

Next chapter...

PREPARE TO HAVE YOUR SOCKS ROCKED!

...although if some people don't wear socks I'm screwed.

Meh.

Updates will become random once August rolls in. I'm starting my final year of high school and I was accepted into Comp-Speech, so I'll be really busy once school starts.

But I've already started on chapter five so maybe I'll get it out before then.

Now, onto my favorite thing ever...

REVIEW RESPONSES!

mauralucky7:Ha! Hearing from new readers is always a delight. Glad you enjoy it so much. As to your questions and theories...well, we shall see wont we?

Terra ForceXIII: If I stop writing for too long I get the shakes. I love me some 221. As a writer, I enjoy every character. Take notes eh?

Bearybeary: Indeed.

AquaStormXIV: I still don't think of them as connected...yet. Still some **final **things to do...**mix **it up a little. Ha! Everyone loved the Aerith bit. I love spur of the moment writing.

archsages328: Thank you! Will the original trio appear...well, one never knows. "Keyblade". (Blocks your combined attack with Master Xehanort's Keyblade) Now learn why I took the name No Heart!

Jimbobo5536: Don't worry. Next chapter is a 'workout' for those two.

JollyRancherLvr: Going to try.

vienrider: It's not dead, just comatose. Thank you. Yeah pretty much.

DarkNekoGirl92: So am I! Though I'm much happier to hear from an old reader! The problem I've always found with most kh fics is the writer only chooses to focus on so many characters. I try to give all my characters as much screen time as I can.

Kaura Hime: 1: Thank you. 2: Thank you. Come next chapter, Yuffie might have a different opnion on Aqua.

Fan of Fanfics21: Not really. Nobody shot me and I didn't drink something then have it spill out of the bullet holes all over me. thank you.

iceandfire66: That's No Heart! Now, who said anything about Xemnas **lingering** around in his head?

Luis: Is it now? Thanks but no thanks. One site is enough for me.

Sabathiel: Bout nine months like everyone else I'd guess. The fights the fights the fights! I can't go a single chapter without soem form of conflict. Can our water maiden help her earth warrior? I eagerly await as review from you!

Emo-chan the Awesome: I guess even I can do comedy.

hakunamatata1991: Darn the fact I mostly update at night! ...or early in the morning.

Riku Uzumaki: Wrong. Please try again.

Yue Twili: TWILI! SKLEE! (glomps)

Cimikait: (stares longingly at your Stitch pkushie) Terra will get a cosmetic change later, but he's going to be in the cloak pretty much through the whole story. Yeesh, those typos returned with a **vengeance.**

Twilight Cardmistress: NOOOOOOOO! (jumps after) I REFUSE TO LOSE ONE OF MY FAVORITE READERS!

CloudKittyVII:...BEST. REVIEW. EVER. I love long reviews! This was such a pick me up to read and I'm glad you took the time to write it! At first when I saw this was unmarked I was like: NUUUUUUU but then you did that second review and I was like: YAYYYYY. THank you, thank you!

Draconic:Dissappointment? Was this a bad chapter?

Square Enix Fan Girl: Thank you.

: Don't worry. Once I start a story, I finish it. I just take a long time too.

Sakura088: The best writing advice I ever got was this: Don't tell a story, paint a picture. I never skip on the details.

Blader 25: Well, here's one.

Hawkelion: Thank you.

Now, I have a few questions before I go:

Can anyone tell me whose sword Terra's using?

How many of you think there will be a sequel to Body and Soul?

And how many 0f you _want _there to be a sequel?

Well, I must depart.

Till the next chapter everyone.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: Pieces of a Blood Stained Past.

The castle interior was in much better shape then it's exterior, but even more foreboding looking than the towering fortress of pipes and brick. If that was even possible.

Yuffie had charged ahead with Aqua and Tifa struggling to keep up with the hyper active ninja. The younger girl looked back at the two older women and called, "Hurry up, slow pokes!" That had earned twin sapphire and ruby eyed glares and twitching brows from both Keyblade Mistress and martial artist, though both held their tongue.

They had crossed across a second walkway connected to the front of the castle gates, a set of giant maroon doors with twisting, thorn like engravings on it. The doors were wide open, allowing the three women to enter without a problem. While the passage was short, it was cloaked in absolute darkness, and the only sound was the footsteps of the three women.

Aqua swallowed silently. The shadows of this place…

They were too deep, suffocating.

Too much like that never ending realm…

Mercifully, the three were soon freed from the shadows, Yuffie eagerly racing into the large open hall, Tifa following behind, Aqua on the dark haired woman's heel, her blue eyes widening upon seeing the large, open area for the first time.

The entrance hall of the castle was massive, consisting of two floors, the ground which she, Tifa and Yuffie currently stood on, and an upper level supported by a series of rising pillars that rose from the bottom. There were two staircases on either side of the halls' centerpiece, a fountain with the face of a demonic beast or serpent, jaws parted to let water gush out in a steady stream. The gentle splashing sound only added to the halls' eeriness.

Aqua continued to gaze around the large room when Yuffie suddenly chirped, "Hey, Teef! Help me with these doors since Blue wants to daydream!"

Aqua sighed deeply, practically huffing before looking over her shoulder back towards the ninja girl and the darkly clothed woman. Yuffie was standing by the opened doors, arms crossed, her foot tapping impatiently as she watched the older woman approach. Tifa cast the ninja girl a wry glance before looking up at the towering twin doors of the front hall.

Aqua craned her head back to take in the full height of them. How in the world could Yuffie expect Tifa to close those? It would take at least two full grown men to even budge-

The dark haired martial artist took a single glance at the first door before reaching out with her right hand and then flicking her index and middle fingers against its' stone surface. Instantly the giant door swung shut with a resounding 'BOOM' and a slight tremor of the entire room. Aqua stared blankly, unable to process exactly what she had just seen.

She blinked and flinched slightly, snapping out of her stupefied daze when Tifa walked over to the next door, standing by Yuffie and then calmly flicking the next door closed with her fingers and another resounding shake of the room. Yuffie grinned, tossing Tifa an impressed look before saying, "Teef, have I told you lately how awesome you are?"

The older woman continued to ignore the girl, walking back over towards Aqua.

The ninja girl huffed at Tifa's silence. "Yeesh," she grumbled. "Can't take a joke or a compliment." She then turned her chocolate eyes upwards, and ceased talking for a moment to scan the ceiling. Upon spotting the hanging platform and the second floor above, Yuffie nodded, smiling deviously.

She looked back at the other two women and said, "Well, since I seem to be doing all the talking for the three of us," Nor argument from Aqua or Tifa on that. "I may as well do the planning too." The ninja girl finished saying, her devious smile morphing into completely mischievous one.

Aqua and Tifa exchanged understandably nervous glances. Yuffie hardly noticed and went on. "Since Blue's Keyblade is drawing all the Heartless in the main part of the castle towards us, and Heartless don't typically use doors, just pop out of the shadows," She muttered that last part mostly to herself but Aqua and Tifa still heard her thanks to the fact her naturally loud voice was echoing off the large walls of the empty room.

Yuffie went on, "So I'm thinking we should divide and conquer." Aqua blinked, confused. "What do you mean?" The water maiden asked.

Yuffie rolled her eyes. "I mean we split up, duh. I'll head up to the upper floor and rain some death down on the Heartless while you and Tifa destroy anything I miss."

Aqua narrowed her sapphire eyes at that. "Seems rather…cowardly."

Yuffie shrugged. "I'm a ninja," she replied. "We strike swiftly and silently from the shadows and all that jazz. As long as it gets the job done, who cares about the ethics of it? Especially when it comes to the Heartless."

Even Aqua couldn't find an excuse to argue with that.

Yuffie stopped talking for a moment to stretch her arms out above her head, sighing after the joints released a few pops and then she let them swing back down to her sides. She looked at Tifa and said, "Well, I leave it to you Teef!" She gave Aqua half-hearted wave and said dryly, "Try not to be too useless, Blue." And then the 'Great Ninja' vanished in a burst of smoke, leaving Aqua fuming internally, several choice words (All learned from Cid) flashing through her mind to reflect her feelings on the younger girl and the nickname she had given her.

Tifa watched Aqua silently, her ruby eyes observing the blue haired younger woman. She was certainly different from that other boy Keyblade wielder, who always had a cheery disposition. Aqua was more subdued then he had been and Tifa found herself unable to get a very good read on her.

Curious.

Aqua glared up at the second floor balconies above, her sapphire eyes scanning for the corner Yuffie had hidden herself in. She hated the way she was reacting to the girl's teases and taunts, but there was only so much Aqua felt like taking before she decided to show this girl her true skills with the Keyblade.

The HARD way.

The blue haired maiden suddenly felt a gaze on her back and Aqua glanced over her shoulder slightly, meeting Tifa's ruby eyed stare.

An awkward silence ensued, neither woman breaking eye contact for several seconds.

Finally, Aqua cleared her throat, breaking the silence as she asked, "Does she treat everyone with such disrespect?'

Not exactly an unclear question by now, but it was the only thing Aqua could think of to ask. The silence was unsettling.

Tifa nodded. "She's actually being rather nice with you. And don't be too offended by the 'Blue' comment. It's much nicer then what she called me when we first met."

The dark haired beauty frowned as if she had tasted something unpleasant and Aqua decided not to press the issue. She cast another glance towards the floor above before asking Tifa, "So how long until I've become immune to her antics like the rest of you?"

The dark haired woman shrugged. "A few weeks," she replied, then paused, thinking for a moment. "Give or take a year."

Aqua sighed deeply, rubbing her forehead, eyes closed. Then she smiled slightly and was relieved to see Tifa smile back.

But the moment was broken by a sudden hissing sound, like metal scraping over stone.

Aqua flinched, her whole body tensing, arms rising and hands open and ready to call her Keyblade. Tifa was more subdued, though her ruby eyes now studied the room more distrustfully. Slowly, the dark haired woman adjusted the gloves on her hands, pulling them down tightly and making the leather squelch audibly.

Tifa looked back at Aqua, still smiling, though in a different manner, still friendly…

But also challengingly.

Tifa, "I have to admit…"

She flexed her fingers, the joints of her fingers popping before she suddenly clenched them into fists and assumed a battle ready stance. Around the two women, the noise continued to grow louder.

"I really want to see what you can do…" Tifa finished, still smiling in challenge.

Aqua stared at Tifa, sapphire eyes uncertain. Just then, Yuffie called out from above, her voice echoing around the entire room, momentarily drowning out the sounds.

"Look alive ladies! The show's about to start!"

Aqua clenched and unclenched her right hand slowly, and a single ethereal pink petal floated between her fingers.

_Alright_, she thought.

_You want to see what I can do? You want a show?_

"I'll give you one," she whispered to herself, right hand flexing open as light flashed, and more petals appeared, swirling around her hand before extending out and they converged together as one, her Keyblade appeared in a brilliant flash. The appearance of the weapon seemed to act as a catalyst.

Instantly the noise around them stopped.

A split second later, spheres of shadows appeared, hovering in the air before exploding out in a sound of rushing air mixed in with clanking armor.

Finally seeing the Heartless made Aqua blink in complete surprise while Tifa raised her clenched fists and spread her legs apart a little, assuming her fighting stance. But Aqua didn't raise her Keyblade yet, unable to take her eyes off the Heartless.

They weren't at all what she had been expecting.

The Heartless she had encountered in the Realm of Darkness had varied only slightly, but they all carried several recurring features. Skin that was a dark blackish blue or purple, antennas and dead, glowing yellow eyes. The resemblance ended there.

The Heartless had started small, as antlike creatures, then grew into humanoid beasts with long claws. Some had even ceased to resemble anything remotely human, becoming floating blobs with wide, grinning teeth. And they had kept growing, bigger and more horrifying then the last.

But what stood before Aqua now only barely resembled any of those Heartless.

The ones shambling around the two women still had the yellow eyes and a dark shade of blue skin tone but they were smaller than the taller, lankier Heartless Aqua had encountered, and wore helmets on their heads, ringlets around their wrists, tips of their fingers tapered off with long red claws. Branded on their chests was a red heart symbol with an 'X' in the center.

Aqua stared at these strange Heartless, her surprise leaving her off guard.

The closest one suddenly weaved and bobbed forward before jumping, claws pulled back. Aqua gasped, flinching a step back as the bright red claws shot for her pale neck-

But a black blur collided with the Heartless, sending it flying across the room and into a wall with a loud 'crunching' sound of metal and brick. Two more of the Heartless sprinted forward, but the black blur spun, and a long pale leg shot up, kicking the closest one into it's twin, sending both Heartless flying to join their brethren into the wall.

All three Heartless exploded in a puff of black and pink smoke, three gray hearts floating into the air before disappearing.

Aqua blinked, gasping and looking at her savior, Tifa, the woman standing in front of Aqua, leg lowering but her fists still raised. Aqua was stunned. She hadn't heard or seen Tifa move. The woman had just appeared in a blur of black.

Tifa glanced over her shoulder at Aqua, her ruby eyes once friendly and teasing suddenly drawn into a narrow glare.

"Don't space out on me. That's a good way to get killed pretty fast."

Aqua flinched, stunned by Tifa's suddenly harsh tone. But then the air rippled again with that strange whirring sound and several more of those armored Heartless dropped onto the floor from a few dark portals, their yellow eyes dead set on Tifa and Aqua, strange forms shifting restlessly, claws twitching in desire to rip their hearts beating from their chests.

Tifa slowly moved away from Aqua, ruby gaze never wavering from the Heartless, fists never lowering.

Aqua watched the dark haired woman move before snapping her eyes onto the Heartless, a hiss slipping past her lips as she set her jaw, grip on her Keyblade tightening.

When Tifa was a few feet away from Aqua, she called to the blue haired maiden, still never taking her eyes off their Heartless adversaries. Tifa, "It's do or die."

Aqua didn't reply but nodded, her eyes narrowing, gaze determined.

Without any waiting, the Heartless charged forward, claws dragging behind them but ready to rend their flesh to shreds.

Though they charged at the same time, Tifa was still faster than Aqua could keep up with.

The dark haired woman charged forward, fists and feet launching out and striking Heartless with unmatched strength and honed skill in a furious barrage of blows. Every strike landed on a vital spot and the Heartless crumpled silently, bursting into smoke and fading hearts. Within seconds, Tifa had already destroyed at least six and was already working on another four.

Aqua skidded to a halt when she saw several Heartless charging at her in a straight line. Pulling her right arm back and reversing her grip on her blade, Aqua lunged forward, swinging her Keyblade out and letting it go. The weapon became a spinning gray arc that tore straight through each Heartless, cutting them in half and causing them to explode in bursts of black, the hearts they released a bright and vibrant pink.

Aqua caught her blade as it rebounded back to her like a boomerang and in the same motion she spun around, cutting another Heartless that had taken a running leap at her from behind in two.

With that, the room was empty once more.

Aqua and Tifa stood their ground, Aqua's Keyblade at the ready by her leg, Tifa still in her fighter's crouched stance, legs spread, fists raised.

All was still and eerily quiet.

Just then, a loud voice broke that silence.

"Get ready, girls! Second battalion on its' way!"

No sooner had Yuffie's voice spoken up did her premonition ring true.

The air rippled multiple times, filling the space above Aqua and Tifa completely before promptly depositing their darkly packages.

It was more of those 'soldier' Heartless, or so it seemed at first glance. Their skin was a different color, a sickly shade of green. While there was about twice as many then the previous group, these Heartless were slightly smaller then their vanquished brethren.

The Heartless jerked and twitched in jerky spasms, yellow eyes locked on Aqua and Tifa. The two women stood there ground, daring the Heartless to make the first move.

When they did, it was unexpected.

The Heartless promptly began running around the hall, in every direction except towards Aqua and Tifa.

To say they were surprised is to say too little. Tifa blinked, her rusty eyes darting from one dashing Heartless to the next, though never more for a split-second. Aqua risked a glance towards Tifa, taking a sharp breath as she did. But before she could get a single word out, two of the sprinting Heartless raced up to her, drawing their legs back and taking a flying spinning kick towards the water maiden. Aqua snapped her gaze back on the Heartless, and upon seeing them coming at her, instinctively threw up out her left arm, palm open.

Light flashed and a green, glass like barrier appeared around Aqua, shielding her from the Heartless kicks and knocking them back. This left them dazed and staggering, giving Aqua an opening not be wasted. Thrusting her Keyblade into the air, she shattered her barrier, releasing a burst crystalline magic that struck both Heartless and an unlucky third that had run behind her blindly, destroying all three in a burst of smoke and hearts.

Tifa clenched her fists fiercely and dropped down into a kneeling position, sweeping her leg out as she did and kicking several Heartless as she did, flipping them into the air. Still sweeping her outstretched leg in a complete circle around herself, the area where Tifa's foot had swept across suddenly lit aflame, igniting the Heartless. Tifa launched out in a fierce kick, like a burning arrow, destroying the Heartless around her and several more in her path before she struck a wall. Unlike the Heartless, the martial artist woman used the momentum of her attack to back flip off the wall and land gracefully back on the floor.

Aqua watched with a slightly raised brow.

If she didn't know any better, she would swear Tifa was just showing off.

The teasing smile the dark haired woman flashed Aqua didn't help.

There were still several more Heartless running around and every time Tifa would throw out a punch or kick they would just run away from her, avoiding her blows.

Aqua stood her ground and scanned the hall, her sapphire eyes landing on a group of the Heartless, stationary and twitching idly. Thrusting her Keyblade out, Aqua cried, "Thunder!" and let loose a single burst of concentrated lightning from the tip of her Keyblade. The charge struck the Heartless in the center of the group and it froze for a split second before the charge exploded out from it, releasing a ring of lightning that trapped a half a dozen more in a paralyzing circle, their small bodies twitching and writhing in agony. Drawing her Keyblade back, Aqua gathered her magic, causing an icy white air to surround the tip of her blade before the Keyblade mistress leapt, thrusting her Keyblade up and bringing it down with an exclamation of "Freeze!"

The floor between the blue haired maiden and the electrified Heartless froze over before erupting into a series of jagged ice crystals that impaled each Heartless, causing them to explode into dust, the crystals following suite and launching smaller, but still equally jagged shards that struck several more Heartless, stopping them dead.

Emphasis on the dead part.

Tifa watched, her expression blank but her ruby eyes showed impression. Without even looking away from the display of Aqua's magic, Tifa brought her fist up, slamming the back of her gloved hand into the helmeted face of a Heartless that had been trying to sneak up on her. It crumpled instantly though Tifa hardly paid it any attention.

Seeing no more Heartless left, the martial artist approached the Keyblade mistress and said, "Not bad."

Aqua looked back at Tifa, seeing the dark haired woman was smiling again, though no longer in a teasing or challengingly way. Now it was a look of impression, the same impression in her ruby eyes. Aqua smiled back, lowering her Keyblade and replying, "Not so bad yourself."

Just then something flashed in the dark and a small whirring object shot behind Aqua. The blue maiden gasped and whirled around, eyes widening when she saw how close a single Heartless had managed to get behind her. Though said Heartless now had four sided throwing star embedded between it's glowing yellow eyes. The Heartless fell over and exploded in a shower of dust and clinking metal as the shuriken hit the floor.

Aqua blinked, totally confused before a familiar, obnoxious voice rang out.

"That's one you owe me, Blue!"

The voice trialed off into a laugh and Aqua growled, her sapphire eyes darting up towards the balconies above, but she couldn't see Yuffie in the shadows. Aqua huffed in anger, her grip on her Keyblade tightening. "Is she even fighting any Heartless up there?" She asked under her breath.

Tifa sighed and shrugged, fists clenching. Tifa, "Not done yet."

No sooner had she said that did three spots in the air directly above the center of the hall ripple with huge portals of darkness. Tifa stepped closer, raising her fists while Aqua readied her Keyblade, drawing on her reserves of magic. The portals deposited the three Heartless onto the floor below.

Only three, but very big Heartless.

They were still virtually identical to the earlier ones, only three times there size, their skin a much darker shade of green while their claws were a bright yellow to match their eyes. The three giant Heartless were twitching, claws flicking in anticipation as they settled their beady eyes on Aqua and Tifa. The two women didn't move for a moment, both thinking of their next attacks and how to implement them.

Unfortunately the Heartless weren't so patient.

All three charged forward, claws dragging behind them as they prepared to tear the two down into several pieces to get at their hearts. Aqua and Tifa moved at the same time, Aqua cart wheeling out of the way of a slash from one of Heartless and narrowly avoiding a blow from the second while Tifa darted towards the wall, running up it and then leaping off to deliver a kick to the side of the giant Heartless's helmet, dazing it. Tifa lunged forward, her fists flexing open as green sparks danced between her fingers before she let loose a rapid barrage of punches on the giant creature's midsection, knocking it back several steps with each blow while the final one sent it reeling in a pained daze.

Aqua threw up her barrier, deflecting her Heartless attackers' first blow and send it stumbling back. Aqua charged forward, her barrier exploding from around her, blasting the creature of darkness back even further and knocking it flat on it's back. Aqua leapt, pulling her Keyblade back and swinging it forward, streaks of blue magic left in it's wake as it tore through the Heartless completely. Aqua twirled her Keyblade before lowering it and her gaze wandered around the room, looking for Tifa.

It wasn't hard to find her.

The martial artist was finishing off her own Heartless, the dark haired woman ducking under a swipe of its' claws before jumping and delivering a mighty uppercut to its' jaw. Tifa must have used all of her impressive strength in the attack as it nearly decapitated the Heartless and succeeded in knocking off its' helmet. Both Heartless exploded in a puff of smoke and vanishing hearts and the two women turned their attention to the last one. The Heartless stood it's ground, yellow eyes locked on the two female fighters as Aqua raised her Keyblade and Tifa clenched her fists.

It then promptly jumped and curled in on itself, vanishing in a flash of dark energy and rush of air.

That made both Aqua and Tifa blink and exchange bewildered looks. The martial artist female shrugged.

Tifa, "Huh. Smarter then I thought."

Aqua laughed, lowering her Keyblade and taking a deep breath while Tifa stretched her arms. The two exchanged smiles but before anything more could be said, a familiar voice suddenly rang out, louder than ever.

"Hey if you two are done down there, how 'bout you come up here and give me a hand?" The 'great ninja' was practically screeching.

Aqua sighed and looked at Tifa. The dark haired fighter looked as about as enthusiastic of the idea of going up there and dealing with the younger girl as Aqua did.

Though before they even had a chance to move, Yuffie screeched again.

This time in fear and pain.

* * *

The higher ground was usually the best spot to have in a battle against any kind of enemy.

Of course, when the enemy still out numbers you ten to one, it's not really that much of advantage.

While Aqua and Tifa had been dealing with the battalion of Soldier Heartless, Yuffie had tried to help them out but surprise, surprise, more Heartless had appeared to bug her. She had been trying to nail some of those really annoying bell shaped Heartless. She had dealt with the yellow, scarlet and grey variants, and those Heartless were more annoying than the other kinds. "Stupid things won't stay still so I can kill them!" Yuffie hissed under her breath, a shuriken between her fingers.

She had managed to catch a lucky break with one of her fuma shuriken taking out a half a dozen of them at once. Pumping her fist in victory, the ninja girl had snuck a glance down below and had spotted one of those annoying 'Deserter' Heartless sneaking up on the blue haired woman Keyblade Master. Twirling a fresh shuriken, Yuffie had thrown it with one well aimed toss and successfully cut the bugger down, nailing it right between the eyes.

"That's one you owe me, Blue!" Yuffie called, laughing to herself as she imaged the look on the older woman's face. Returning her attention to the matter at hand, the great ninja saw she only had one Heartless left, a single 'Yellow Opera'. The Heartless was floating quite a bit away, electricity gathering around it as it charged a thunder spell.

Yuffie snorted. "Please." Twirling a fresh throwing star, she let the lethal projectile fly and it tore through the bell cleanly in two, making it split open in a puff of smoke and escaping heart.

Yuffie wiped her hands, slapping them together before declaring, "And that's a wrap! All in a day's work for a great ninja!"

Looking back down, Yuffie's chocolate eyes widened when she saw the size of the Heartless Aqua and Tifa were now fighting. "Yick," Yuffie stuck her tongue out in disgust. "Definitely don't want to be in their shoes right now."

Reaching for more shuriken, Yuffie decided Tifa and Aqua could use some help from above. But before she could make it rain metal stars, the air rippled right next to her, darkness gathering. Yelping, Yuffie vanished in a puff of smoke, reappearing across the balcony as the darkness formed completely.

Yuffie had never seen these Heartless, but they didn't look friendly. Well, no Heartless looked friendly, but none more then these.

They had long torsos and big heads wearing helmets like the Soldier variant, but their long skinny arms ended with ham sized maces for fists. They had no legs, just stumps, but they floated in the air on long, curled black wings. And just like the old saying, these Heartless came in threes, and their dead yellow eyes were locked right onto Yuffie.

Hissing through grit teeth, Yuffie spun a shuriken between her fingers. "I just have to open my big mouth and always say something, don't I?" She muttered to herself angrily. Deciding to attack before the Heartless could even drift so much as an inch away, Yuffie tossed several throwing stars at the one closest to her. The shuriken tore through it's wings, causing it to begin to plummet to the floor below, but by then Yuffie had tossed two more shuriken, cutting through the Heartless's neck, decapitating it. It vanished seconds later, releasing a heart.

Her confidence soaring, Yuffie reached more shuriken. "They may be bigger, but that just means they go down harder," the ninja girl decided before throwing her lethal stars at the next one. The shuriken spun through the air towards their target, the Heartless flyer flexing its' arms out from itself-

And summoning a swirling whirlwind of wind around itself that caught Yuffie's stars.

The ninja girl blinked. "What the-" But that was all she managed to get out before the whirlwind erupted off the Flyer, the gust pushing Yuffie back. The girl threw her hands up over face to shield herself from the worst of it.

"Ugh!" She exclaimed. Forcing her wincing eyes to open despite the fierce gust, Yuffie glanced down below and to her relief saw that Aqua and Tifa had destroyed all their Heartless. Drawing in a deep breath, Yuffie screeched, "Hey if you two are done down there, how 'bout you come up here and give me a hand?"

No sooner did she get the last word out did something flash in her peripheral vision. Yuffie gasped, realizing it was her own shuriken being knocked back at her. Actign on complete instinct, the girl back flipped, and to her amazement, the gust that had reflected her weapons back at her propelled her even higher into the air, allowing her to easily dodge them.

That was the good news.

The bad news was it sent her flying too high, and Yuffie colliding into the upper part of the wall, mere inches from where it met the ceiling. Releasing a cry of pain, Yuffie fell and fell hard, the small girl slamming into the balcony floor and the pain was so intense all she could let out was a pathetic whimper. The girl weakly pushed herself back up on her hands, wincing at a sharp pain in her whole chest.

No sooner had she raised her head did her eyes land on the Flyer Heartless looming over her. Yuffie gasped breathlessly, chocolate orbs widening. The Heartless was drawing it's mace fists over it's head, no doubt preparing to deliver a literal skull smashing blow on her vulnerable form.

The Heartless lunged and Yuffie winced, eyes snapping shut, head flinching back in a feeble attempt to avoid her fate.

But the pain didn't come.

Instead there were the sounds of rushing air and then a loud 'ping' followed by a bright flash. And then there was a soothing sensation, somewhat familiar to Yuffie, like the times Aerith healed her. In fact, the pain her chest was disappearing fast, faster than possible.

Blinking, Yuffie looked up, still expecting imminent death.

What she got instead was a figure in black with blue hair, a glass like barrier surrounding both her and Yuffie in a protective shield. Yuffie blinked, watching the Flyer Heartless reel back, it's hands waving frantically, as if in pain. Aqua lowered her barrier and thrust her Keyblade forward, the tip smoking before igniting and releasing a salvo of fireballs.

The Flyer promptly caught fire, huge limbs flailing, wings flapping madly as if to try and put the fires out. Aqua lowered her Keyblade and shouted, "Tifa, now!"

Before Yuffie had a chance to blink, a black blur bounced off the wall and a familiar dark beauty jumped above the flaming Heartless, leg raised and brought down in a mighty axe-kick that crushed its' skull. The Heartless went limp in midair, then exploded in a shower of black smoke.

Tifa completed her descent, landing next to Aqua, fists raised and ready. Yuffie stared in dumbstruck awe from the floor.

The last Flyer Heartless floated a little closer, but before it could try anything, Aqua thrust her blade out, releasing another salvo of magic, this time in bursts of electricity.

But the Heartless seemingly anticipated this, as it swept its' arms out, summoning the whirlwind barrier around itself. The charges struck the wind and released, but none of the lightning found it's target, instead just dissipating into harmless sparks. Aqua swept her Keyblade down in a furious swing, hissing out, "Darn it!"

Tifa watched the Heartless for a second before her eyes wandered up, noticing a funnel at the top of the whirlwind. Smiling to herself, Tifa lowered her arms before sweeping her right hand out. The air chilled in her wake, a wintry wind rushing over the Heartless, right above the funnel. The magic in the wind condensed into a huge, spiked glacier of ice. The glacier dropped right on top of the Heartless, shattering on contact, stunning the Heartless as the ice burst into more jagged pieces. The swirling whirlwind carried them, trapping the Heartless in a spiral of lethal cutting shards that tore down into misty shadows.

Aqua looked at Tifa, impressed. Aqua, "Nice one." The martial artist shrugged before replying, "Didn't really feel like waiting for it to turn off the wind." Both women heard a low groan behind them, and they remembered Yuffie. Aqua turned, dispelling her Keyblade in a flash of light and burst of sparks. Aqua saw the younger girl was still struggling to get up.

Extending her hand to her, Aqua said, "Here."

Yuffie glanced up, blinking when she saw Aqua's hand. Looking up at the older woman' face, Yuffie expected to see a smug expression, quickly followed by a jab at her expense for getting knocked down by a Heartless Tifa and Aqua had taken care of so easily. Instead, all she saw was concern in Aqua's sapphire eyes. Caught off guard, Yuffie couldn't say anything, only reach out with her own hand and take Aqua's. "You…you healed me," the ninja girl stuttered out.

The taller woman nodded, pulling the younger girl up on shaky feet. Yuffie swayed unsteadily, still winded from the earlier attack despite the fact her body felt more or less physically fine. Aqua steadied her, gripping her by her shoulders gently. Aqua, "Sorry, you might still be a little woozy. My healing magic's on the fritz. Just try to stay still for a minute, ok?"

Tifa chuckled at that. Tifa, "With this one that's easier said then done."

Yuffie was still too shocked by Aqua's actions to properly respond. The water maiden was reaching into her pack, pulling out one of the ethers she had taken earlier. Upon spotting it, Yuffie remembered the bundle of items in her own pack. Yuffie, "I didn't need you to heal me. I had plenty of potions."

Despite the girl's tone, Aqua simply nodded, offering her that kind smile. Aqua, "I know." And left it at that, drinking the contents of her ether.

Yuffie felt her cheeks flush in a sudden shame. Here she had been treating this woman and her friend so badly…and still she went out of her way to protect and help her.

Tifa watched Yuffie, ruby eyes glinting knowingly and approvingly. A little humility went a long way, and every little bit was a must for Yuffie.

Aqua finished her ether, stashing the empty glass in her pack before looking around. Tifa glanced around as well but both confirmed the same thing. No more Heartless. At least for now.

Yuffie followed there gazes, looking around quickly. She sighed in relief. Yuffie, "Well I guess that's that."

The air rippled with shadows, small portals and large ones appearing at the same time and releasing several dozen Heartless onto the balcony with the three women.

Tifa sighed deeply, then adjusted he gloves on her hands. Yuffie let out a whining moan, mumbling, "I really need to learn to shut up…"

Aqua however didn't move immediately, her sapphire eyes scanning the balcony, counting Heartless and noting that this time hey seemed to be going all out. She saw the Soldier variants, a few more Flyers and a lone giant Soldier, along with some bell shaped ones she had never seen before. Aqua noted they filled the upper balcony, but left the floating platform with the torch in the center of the ceiling vacant.

She had an idea.

Calling her Keyblade in a flash of light, Aqua said to Tifa and Yuffie, "Stay here, I've got this."

Yuffie did a double-take, jaw dropping in shock and even Tifa's eyes widened. Yuffie, "You can't be serious! Blue, you're strong, I get that, but you can't possibly take on all of them by yourself-"

She said more but Aqua tuned her out, dashing towards an open ledge on the balcony and taking a running leap, smoothly landed on the central platform, right next to the strange torch. The Heartless yellow eyes followed her, and Aqua figured Leon was right about them being drawn to the Keyblade. Good. That made things much easier.

Yuffie and Tifa watched from the sides, the ninja girl bouncing on her heels while Tifa nervously flexed her fingers. Yufffie looked at Tifa, helplessly asking, "What's she doing?'

Tifa didn't have an answer for her.

Aqua watched the Heartless slowly move in on her. When she judged they were close enough, she thrust her blade into the air, magic gathering at the tip. "Gather!"

With that cry, two streams, one blue, the other red, burst from her Keyblade, launching high in the air before they began to circle around themselves, a clear field generating as they mixed and melded. Yuffie and Tifa watched, the ninja at a lost while the martial artists slowly understood.

Yuffie, "What the-Hey!" The girl's small form was suddenly pulled forward, almost off her feet and into the air if it wasn't thanks to Tifa's timely yank on her collar. Tifa, "Hang on!" The older woman managed to keep her feet firmly on the ground while Yuffie struggled slightly.

The Heartless, unfortunately, weren't so lucky.

The ones in the air were quickly sucked towards the field, swirling around it in time with the two orbs, and moments later even the grounded Heartless were drawn over. Within moments all the Heartless were spinning above Aqua, helpless against her magnetic magic. Aqua gripped her Keyblade with both hands, pouring all her reserves of magic into it.

When the tip was smoking and burning red hot, Aqua thrust it heavenward, the magic releasing in a huge explosion of flames. The Heartless never stood a chance. Their spinning forms caught flame and exploded shortly after, one after another. Smoke drifted in the ceiling above while ash infested shadows rained down silently, pink hearts floating away.

Tifa and Yuffie watched in awe.

Aqua shuddered strongly, knees shaking, breaths coming out in slow pants.

Her magic still wasn't back up to full strength and doing two high level spells like that in a row was leaving her more exhausted than normal.

Tifa and Yuffie saw Aqua's pained form and Yuffie called out, "Blue! You alright?"

Tifa was more direct (And respectful) as she asked, "Aqua? Are you okay?"

The blue haired maiden wiped her brow with her free arm, letting out one last heavy sigh before looking back over at Tifa and Yuffie. Nodding, she called back, "Yeah, just had to catch my breath."

Jumping back over to them, Aqua stumbled slightly, but righted herself quickly. Tifa started towards her but was beaten by a dashing Yuffie, the girl's chocolate eyes gleaming in excitement as she bombarded Aqua with praise.

"That was AWESOME! With the swirly magnet magic, a-and the huge fireball and the BOOM!" The last part she punctuated with a jump and fist pump. Aqua could only stare in a kidn of daze, completely caught off guard. She almost missed the disrespect.

"Oy," Yuffie breathed. "The buttkickness of it all."

Tifa chuckled, very amused, then looked at Aqua and saying, "It looks like you cleared them all out."

Aqua looked over her shoulder, and sure enough, no Heartless was left. Several seconds had passed and no more had appeared. Sighing deeply, Aqua dispelled her Keyblade and rolled her shoulders. Aqua, "It's about time."

Yuffie smiled brightly. "No way are anymore of those annoying creeps gonna try to get the drop on us. Not with Bl-, I mean, Aqua around!"

Aqua smiled at Yuffie, liking this side of herm much better than her bratty attitude.

Tifa glanced towards the door at the far end of the balcony. She started towards, beckoning Aqua and Yuffie after her wit ha wave. Tifa, "Come on. Let's rest up in the library before we move on to the upper floors."

Aqua blinked. "Library?" She asked. Yuffie nodded next to her. Yuffie, "Yep. Big shelves, dusty books and creepy. All it needs is a ghost floating around and it'll be perfect."

Aqua cast the ninja girl a curious look before following after Tifa, Yuffie hot on her heels.

_A library, huh?_ She thought.

This should be interesting.

* * *

He hated the castle catacombs.

They were dark, dank, the walls were crumbling exposing rusting pipes and water pooled on the floors, sometimes to knee height.

Leon hated the catacombs but he wasn't about to let one of his friends come down here. The darkness was stronger here than anywhere else in the castle. Maybe even the whole world.

The leather clad man slowly walked further down the comb he was in, revolver gunblade balanced across his shoulder, ready at a moment's notice. So far he had been lucky and hadn't encountered a single Heartless. That wasn't going to last much longer.

Truth be told, he had an alternative motive for wanting to go alone in the basements. Cid had told him about the castle circuit breakers before they had left Merlin's cottage. Cid had explained they might still be working and if Leon could get to them, he could restart some power back in the castle. Not much, but maybe just enough to activate Ansem's terminal and the security systems.

_Now I just need to find the blasted thing,_ the scarred man thought in annoyance. He had been wandering from corridor to corridor, coming on several dead ends but no circuit box.

Leon was starting to think he had gotten lost (Not that he knew where he was going to begin with), when he noticed a series of insulated wires attached to the ceiling and running across the wall. Cocking his head, he looked down the darkened pathway. "May as well," he muttered to himself before continuing forward, boots sloshing in a puddle of water.

It got progressively darker as he continued forward, but there were also more wires running along the walls and Leon started to think he had finally found the right way.

His suspicions were confirmed when he spotted a lightning bolt insignia with the word 'Hazard' over it and an arrow pointing ahead. Continuing forward at a slightly faster pace, Leon rounded another corner-

Then stopped.

The shadows deepened, considerably, as soon as he had stepped into them. Then several glowing yellow dots appeared on their surface. Leon tightened his grip on his gunblade's hilt._ Well, I was overdue,_ he thought bitterly as the shadows rippled and rose, giving way to tall lanky forms with antennas and claws.

Within a single second he was surrounded by Neo-Shadows.

Leon scanned the Heartless with icy eyes, expression set in an angry scowl.

"Let's get this over with," He said, raising his gunblade and twirling it once before swinging it down. The Heartless needed little more invitation than that.

The closest one to him bounced on its feet, sidestepping closer towards him before leaping, claws pulled back to rend him apart.

Without so much as flinching, Leon thrust his free hand out, flames gathering in his palm and launching out in a powerful Fire spell that struck the Neo-Shadow square in it's chest, destroying it instantly in a puff of shadow.

Uncaring of their fallen comrade, the remaining Heartless all charged forward, running and jumping towards their single prey.

Un-intimidated by their numbers, Leon swung his gunblade out in a furious barrage of slashes and thrusts, each strike meeting a Heartless and destroying it instantly. He swung around in a sudden sweeping slash, destroying two leaping Neo-Shadows that had attempted to get the drop on him. His icy blue eyes narrowed when he saw how quickly they were surrounding him. Time to make some room.

Gripping his gunblade with both hands, Leon spun in place, slashing his blade out in his wake, cutting down several Heartless in the process in multiple bursts of shadows, all the while leaving a small trail of red orbs in his blades wake. The Heartless all suddenly leapt, having tired of playing with their meal. Leon completed his spin, the tip of his gunblade aligning with the last red orb. His finger squeezed down on the trigger just as the claws of the Heartless came close enough to almost touch his jacket.

"You're gone," He declared as the tip of his blade ignited, causing the orbs to explode around him, catching each Heartless in the blast and clearing the group of them that had surrounded him. Twirling his gunblade and balancing it across his shoulder, Leon turned his icy blue eyes down the corridor.

There were still plenty of Heartless gathered at the end of the passage, though the walls closed in the farther down they went, confining the Heartless into an almost perfectly straight line as the marched towards their prey with renewed vigor. _Alright, enough games,_ Leon thought to himself, grip on his blade's hilt tightening. Once more gripping it with both hands, and a blue aura of power gathered around the long steel blade, the sudden light casting off the shadows of the walls and causing the Heartless to flinch back, averting their eyes in pain.

"This is…The end!" Leon roared, jumping into the air and the leaping forward, vanishing in a flash. He reappeared at the end of the passage way, directly behind the lien of Neo-Shadows. As he lowered his gunblade wit ha final slash, all the Heartless exploded in a gust of darkness. Allowing himself a smirk and single chuckle, Leon glanced at the shadows on the wall, noting they no longer seemed as dark.

"Should I have taken it easier?" He taunted.

Turning, he resumed for his destination and found it within a few short steps. Right where Cid had said it would be, looking exactly as he described it. With one last glance to make sure he had truly destroyed all his enemies, Leon lowered his gunblade against the wall and set about trying to remember how Cid told him this worked.

_The sooner I'm done here the sooner I be upstairs helping my friends,_ the leather clad man thought solemnly as he pried the box open.

_And the sooner I can make sure those two aren't trying anything, _he thought darkly. Leon didn't want Aqua or Terra, (Terra especially) wandering around unsupervised for any given amount of time. Not in this place.

They may be helping the committee…But he still couldn't trust them until he knew where they came from or how they got here.

Willing his distracting thoughts away for the time being, Leon set to work.

Around him, the shadows shifted, unnoticed.

* * *

He had only taken a single step when four words branded themselves in his mind.

_I've been here before._

Terra had hesitated on his next step while Stitch scampered ahead, the blue alien pausing and looking back at the taller human. Stitch, "Ig?" He asked, cocking his head and raising an ear. Terra shook his head, following after Stitch into the shadows of the corridor.

The two were in darkness for only a few moments and emerged into a narrow hallway of rotting walls, exposed pipes and wiring and growing puddles, signs of water damage (And a pungent odor) littered the area.

Stitch stuck his tongue out in disgust. "Ugh," he groaned, pinching his nose. Terra nodded, "Full agreement, Stitch."

The human and alien resumed walking, Stitch crawling along the walls and the ceiling, sniffing occasionally. Terra had no idea why but he guessed the furball was sniffing for Heartless. Did darkness have an identifiable scent? Terra wondered in slight amusement, turning down another corridor and into a longer one.

Stitch's ears suddenly perked up, his black eyes bugging out wildly. "Eh! Eh! That way! Tooki ba!" Stitch chattered, frantically jabbing his claw down the next hallway.

Terra paused, peering down the hall with a cocked brow and amused smile. Terra, "I take it there down there then?"

Stitch nodded, grinning lopsidedly as he peered at Terra from upside down on the ceiling. Terra chuckled again, twirling his new sword in his hand, once again testing the weight, pleased and comforted to have a weapon again in his hand. Terra, "Alright, you ready?"

Stitch nodded eagerly. Sticth, "Yeah! Yeah! Stitch ready, got Terra's back!"

Terra laughed, never ceasing to be amused by this lovable weapon of mass destruction-

The earthen warrior froze dead all of a sudden.

A voice echoed in his ear, right next to him, along with the sensation of someone roughly patting his shoulder in a friendly gesture.

"_Well, don't sweat it. I've got your back._"

Terra staggered, almost falling to his knees, his free hand clutching at his forehead, his temples pounding in sudden pain.

Stitch let out a surprised growl, eyes widening before he dropped down from the ceiling, scuttling closer to Terra while the earthen warrior continued to shake and shudder, eyes closing as his skin paling and braking out in a sudden sweat. But just as quickly as it begun, the strange attack stopped. Terra let out a shaking breath, hand lowering, his skin regaining some of its' color. He felt a tug low on his cloak.

Cobalt eyes blinking, Terra looked down, straight into the concerned eyes of Stitch, the alien's ears lowered. Stitch, "Terra?"

Panting, Terra gave Stitch a shaky smile. "I'm alright. It's nothin' Stitch."

The blue furball growled lowly, then chattered out, "Ika tak toobi ba!"

Terra chuckled again. Terra, "It's nothing, I promise. I just got a little dizzy, that's all."

Stitch raised a brow, cocking one ear as he did. Then he turned and skittered ahead on all fours, mumbling in his native tongue. Terra smiled, balancing his sword across his shoulder as he followed after his companion. Terra, "You know one of these days I'll know exactly what you're saying."

Stitch let out a little snort, then grinned back up at Terra. Smiling back, the earth warrior and blue furball walked into a large open area. Terra saw another corridor passage opposite of the one Terra and Stitch had entered. There was a third one in the center wall, but it was collapsed in, water spilling out from various pipes. Stitch scuttled a few more steps in but stopped suddenly, small form going tense.

The blue alien bared his teeth, fur spiking as several quills grew from his back, claws digging into the floor.

Terra lowered his sword, tightening his grip as he did. Terra, "I guess this is the spot then?" Stitch nodded, big head turning as he looked around the room.

Terra took another step towards Stitch-

And then the shadows deepened.

Stitch jumped, snarling out while Terra stood ready.

There was a strange sound, like air rushing rapidly and then several spots above the floor rippled with darkness before bursting and releasing their contents.

Stitch jumped on his lower two feet, his two upper ones drawing his green blasters, eyes narrowed into black slits, fangs barred.

Terra however could only stare at the Heartless in a combination of wonder and slight disappointment.

The Heartless hadn't been what he had been expecting. From the way Leon described them, he had imagined creatures of darkness, twisted into forms from man's darkest nightmares.

But instead, what stood before him on swaying feet were a half a dozen humanoids in armor, twin jagged blades emerging from above their arms, glowing yellow eyes peering out from their helms. They were all virtually identical, right down to the black and red heart emblems branded on their chests.

Terra, "Huh. Not gonna lie. I was expecting more."

Stitch didn't respond, only let out a snarl before leaping into the air and firing both blasters. Twin shots of plasma struck the closest Heartless, melting it down to scrap metal and writhing shadows. Stitch landed on the floor, blasters raised as he spat out several choice words in his own language, and while Terra didn't understand their literal meaning, the message was clear.

Bring it on.

Charging forward as the Heartless scattered about, Terra gripped his sword with both hands, pulling it back as he ran towards a Heartless that had both arm blades drawn back as well. Dashing forward with a burst of speed, Terra swung his blade out with both arms, putting all of his strength into the blow.

The Heartless was cleaved neatly in two, both halves exploding into a shower of shadowy dust.

Grinning, Terra whirled around, bringing his sword up and blocking a strike from another Heartless. Kicking his leg out and connecting right on its' emblem, winding it, Terra swung his sword again, decapitating this Heartless. Dashing through the sudden haze of dust, Terra charged for two more of them, unable to wipe off the grin on his face.

For the first time in two days he felt _great_. There was no better stress reliever than a good battle. And he had been pretty stressed out.

These Heartless didn't stand a chance.

Cutting another one in half and slashing several more into smaller pieces, while Stitch continued to leap around and rain plasma down from above, cackling more often than not as he landed a few headshots. When most of the Heartless had been cleared out, Terra lowered his sword, left hand flexing at his side. Spotting a Heartless standing a few feet away, Terra decided it was time to test Merlin's gift out.

Smoke wafted between his fingers while flames began to flicker in his palm, Terra clenched his fist, feeling the magic rise before thrusting his hand out and releasing a red hot fireball. The spell struck the Heartless right on the chest, causing it to stagger back as it's whole form was engulfed in flames, though it still stood. Scowling, Terra started to raise his sword when a blast of plasma struck the Heartless and finished the job, shadowy dust bursting and vanishing.

Terra blinked, then gasped as a sudden weight landed on his shoulder. Looking, he saw a grinning Stitch, holding one of his green blasters as the alien blew smoke from the barrel and grinned toothily. Terra grinned back and said, "Not bad, partner." He looked around the open area, and saw it was just him and Stitch. Terra, "Looks like we got them all, huh?"

Stitch nodded. Stitch, "Yeah! Squash 'em good!" To emphasize, he smacked a small fist into his palm, grinning rather nastily now. Terra chuckled. "You bet we did. Now, what's left?" Looking around, Terra was a bit at a lost as to what to do next. The Heartless hadn't taken them five minutes and there were no more so where…

His cobalt eyes landed on the last corridor. It was directly opposite of the collapsed passage way but this one was in much better shape then the whole hallway. Terra could see carpeting and wallpaper, either undamaged or recently installed.

Stitch had been looking around as well but upon feeling Terra stop moving he followed the earth warrior's gaze. Seeing the undamaged hallway made Stitch shiver and move a little further back on Terra's shoulder. Terra glanced at the alien, surprised by it's sudden timid-ness. Terra, "What's up Stitch?"

Stitch growled lightly. Stitch, "Bad place. Bad."

Terra stared at his companion for another moment before returning his gaze down the hallway.

That feeling from earlier was returning. But this time there was something else with it…

An urge to walk into that hallway.

Terra blinked, shaking his head, fingers rubbing at his forehead. His headache was coming back and the strange feelings were only getting stronger. Once more he looked down the hall.

He had to know.

Terra started towards the darkened corridor, causing Stitch to look frantically from him to it, big eyes widening and ears raising. But just then Stitch went dead still on Terra's shoulder, nose sniffing in panic. Terra paused and glanced at the furball in wonder-

When the air rippled once again all around them.

Terra gasped, head snapping from spot to the next as multiple Heartless dropped the air, almost twice as many as before, maybe more, the creatures quickly filling the room. It was more of the armored Heartless, though several of them were much bigger, wearing darker armor, their arm blades more jagged and sharper looking. Terra let out a single curse while Stitch snarled loudly, jumping off Terra's shoulder to try and latch onto one of the Heartless-

But the smaller alien was knocked aside with a single slash from the Heartless, the blue furball slamming into the crumbled passageway and being quickly buried by pipes and other rubble.

Terra gasped, eyes widening as he screamed, "Stitch!"

The scrape and clank of metal drew his attention back onto the Heartless. Shocked, wide eyes narrowed into outraged cobalt slits as Terra gripped his sword tightly and without a coherent thought, charged forward, roaring as he cut two of the smaller Heartless down before leaping, grasping the hilt of his blade with both hands as he prepared to cleave the head of the large Heartless that had knocked Stitch down so easily in two-

Clang!

Steel met steel as the Heartless intercepted Terra's swing.

Terra glared into the yellow eyes of the Heartless from behind their blades, and he began to apply even more pressure, drawing upon all reserves of his considerable strength.

Without even trying, the Heartless shoved Terra's blade back with a mighty slash, leaving the earth warrior hanging in the air, a stupefied look on his face. The Heartless wasn't done though. Spinning in place, it drew it's arm blades back before thrusting both out in a powerful stabbing motion, both ends of its' swords stabbing into Terra's chest. The earth warrior screamed as he was sent flying back through the air, and then coming to a very abrupt and painful stop.

Terra let out a choked cry of pain as his back collided with a not to solid wall and the reverberations forced him to drop his sword. Falling quickly to the floor, Terra let out another cry of pain. Grunting, he forced himself up on his hands and knees, coughing as he did, blood splattering from the wounds on his chest and the dribbles from his mouth. Quickly forcing himself back up, Terra set his outraged glare on the Heartless that had just tossed him aside like yesterday's trash and swept his hand out, flames gathering before he thrust his arm forward, releasing another fireball.

The flaming spell struck home, right in the helm of the Heartless.

Terra allowed himself a bloody smirk…which quickly fell as the smoke and embers around the Heartless's head faded away, revealing it unharmed, though it was looking around in a slight confusion. Terra's arm fell and his hand landed limply by his sword's hilt and he could do was stare silently at the Heartless.

Inside he was screaming and raging at himself.

_Idiotic fool! You let a sword and a few easy kills get to your head and you suddenly think you're invincible? You're not even half as strong as you were at your weakest!_

Terra's hand clenched into a fist tightly, the leather of his glove squelching in protest.

Panting, blood running down his mouth, eyes narrowed, he watched the larger Heartless stalk towards him, blades running against each other in preparation to carve him up.

He suddenly heard rubble shifting, making him blink as he looked around for the source of the sound. Terra's eyes widened and he gasped when he saw several of the smaller Heartless sifting through the debris that had buried Stitch. Terra could see the blue furball's little clawed paw lying limply out.

Rage consumed him.

Rage towards these stupid monsters for making a fool of him, rage towards himself for being so stupid and unable to defend his friend, and the greatest rage of all was how _powerless_ he felt, needing others to defend him or hand him out gifts.

He didn't need their pity! He had power!

Tendrils of black smoke wafted from between Terra's fingers as his hand reached for his sword, more of the smoky aura rising off his shoulders and arms as the earth warrior rose to his feet. The Heartless paused as their prey rose, then they assumed a battle ready stance if Terra decided to continue his futile efforts.

But this time the earth warrior didn't recklessly charge into them. He glared at the Heartless, panting deeply as the smoky black aura continued to rise off his body. Then he grinned, a terrifying bloody grin, as deep within his cobalt eyes sparks of flaming amber could be seen.

And then he was gone.

The Heartless all flinched, looking wildly around for their vanished prey-

And Terra reappeared several feet above them all, sword reversed and held in both his hands. He sneered down on the Heartless as the smoking aura concentrated around his blade.

"Disappear."

The Heartless all snapped their heads up at the sound but were too late to react. Terra shot down, striking the center of the room's floor and when his blade connected with the floor, all the pent up dark power was unleashed in a golden wave tinged with sparks of dark purple electricity. The Heartless were wiped out the moment the wave touched them, each one exploding after another in bursts of shadows and fading hearts.

Terra rose up, swinging his blade back into the right position and holding it in his left hand. He heard metal scraping and looked towards his right, eyes still sparking with bright flecks of flaming yellow, the cobalt blue struggling to remain. The earth warrior smirked when he saw a single Heartless had survived, the creature backing away before turning and attempting to flee.

Extending his right arm out, Terra sneered, smoke rising from his palm once more. "Burn," he declared.

The smoke burst as a black fireball launched from his hand, homing in on the Heartless in seconds and striking its' back. The creature tripped and fell flat on its' face, the black flames engulfing it completely in moments. And then just as quickly they went out, leaving nothing behind.

Terra lowered his arm, sneer never fading, his eyes almost entirely gold now, only small dots of blue lingering. Now he felt powerful, truly powerful, once again. A soft whimper broke his thoughts.

Blinking, Terra looked around before his eyes widened in sudden remembrance and he whirled around, looking down.

There, now partially freed from the rubble and looking no worse save a bit of dirt and dust on his fur, was Stitch. The blue furball was staring up at Terra, ears lowered, eyes wide with fear. "T-Terra?" He stuttered out.

The earth warrior stared back, suddenly horrified with himself. In his bloodlust he had forgotten entirely of his friend and realized how easily he could have harmed him if he had lost even another inch of self-control. Walking towards him, Terra quickly said, "Stitch, hang on I'll get you out of there-AGH!"

Stitch yelped, his small form jumping and knocking the remaining rubble off himself.

Terra staggered, both hands gripping his head, sword clattering onto the floor.

His whole head was throbbing in agony, vision doubling. He blindly stumbled down the darkened corridor he had been staring down before the Heartless attacked. Voices were echoing in his mind, but they were indistinct, garbled.

Confused as he was concerned, Stitch scuttled after Terra but stopped when the earth warrior suddenly said, "Stitch, stay away." Stitch paused, whimpering in confusion. What was wrong with his friend? Why was Terra in so much pain? And why had his scent changed so suddenly?

Risking another step closer, Stitch came to a dead stop when Terra roared, "I said stay away!"

The alien gasped in fright, skittering back several feet, into the open area, but was unable to take his eyes off Terra.

Terra sank against a wall, hands falling away, more sweat on his already clammy skin. The gold in his eyes had faded but the throbbing in his temples worsened. The voices were dying down, thankfully, and he swore he could almost hear what they were saying-

Terra inhaled sharply.

He could hear them.

One voice, old, accented, and somehow familiar, spoke first.

"_Young man, what ails you? Can you speak? Tell me your name._"

Terra blinked, panting. His mind struggled through the haze of pain. He had heard that voice before, he was sure of it! But where-

He froze again, this time in horror, when a second voice replied in his head and from his own lips.

"Xeha…nort."

Horror welled in Terra. It wasn't possible, it just wasn't possible.

Stitch watched from afar, big eyes still filled with worry.

Terra remained against the wall for several moments, shaky hand reaching to wipe his sweaty bangs from his face. It finally dawned on him where he was and he looked down the hallway. Sure enough, the broken corridor gave way to more refurbished settings. And a single door was waiting at the end of the hall.

Terra stared at it for a long time. Several emotions were raging inside him. Fear and anxiety chief among them, making his heart pound. But mixed in…

Anticipation. And familiarity.

But not all these feelings were his own.

With every step closer towards the door his instincts warred inside him. Half of hi maws screaming, begging for him to turn away, to go back to Stitch and leave these accursed halls, to find Aqua…

But the other half was urging him, in a much more soothing way, telling him all the answers lay beyond that one door, the answers to the pain and strange memories…

He stopped upon reaching the door, hand hovering over the knob of the handle.

His fingers had barely touched it when the voices echoed in his mind once again.

The first voice was familiar. Too familiar.

"_Master Ansem. Regarding the experiment; with your permission I'd like to proceed-_"

The second voice, once gentle and helpful, suddenly snapped.

"_Enough! Forget this talk of doors, and the heart of all worlds!"_

The first voice responded, hurt and insisting.

"_But, master Ansem! I've been thinking-_"

The second voice interrupted, almost gently. But also scolding.

"_Xehanort. These thoughts are best forgotten._"

And there it was again.

That name.

Resolving himself, Terra grasped the knob and turned the handle. It gave easily, clicking and the door slowly swung open.

And Terra stepped inside.

As he did, he saw what lay beyond.

And finally, horrifyingly, it all suddenly made sense.

* * *

If Merlin's library was impressive, then the castle's collection was something else entirely.

Aqua almost found herself lost in the rows of books, volumes upon volumes of ancient tomes, ranging from epics, to collections of poetry and plays, and adventure, fantasy, and other stories. But all those paled in the number of research books there were. The blue haired maiden was only skimming the titles, but there must have been hundreds of books on the heart and it's workings, both in the sense of science and philosophy, along with books on light and darkness.

The former lord of this castle had interesting research subjects, Aqua mused to herself. Such studies had led many worlds to ruin.

Tifa was higher up, on the second floor of the library, which Aqua hadn't ventured to yet, while Yuffie was currently walking on her hands on a high shelf, looking bored out of her mind. There had been no Heartless in this room, so the three women had decided to take a short breather before moving on to meet up with Leon and Terra.

Aqua was wandering towards the shelves located under the balcony of the second floor when Yuffie called out, "You like books, Aqua?"

Aqua paused, her eyes leaving the various white spines to glance up at Yuffie, and the water maiden was amused to see she was now balancing herself on one hand. "Yes, though I don't read as often as I would like too," Aqua called back, returning her attention to the collected volumes.

The ninja girl snorted, inching herself along slowly across her shelf top. Yuffie, "Meh, books. Who has time to read 'em anyway, save for old wizards like Merlin?"

From her spot on the second floor, Tifa rolled her eyes as she reached for her gloves. She had taken them off to check on her knuckles. After bashing away at so many Heartless, they were bruised up, but not too badly. A single swallow from a potion had remedied that up fast. Collecting her gloves, Tifa slipped them into her skirt's pocket for quick and easy access.

Yuffie went on, talking a little louder than necessary for such enclosed space. Yuffie, "I mean, we travel worlds and kick monster butt! Who needs to read when our lives are way more interesting then what's on those wrinkled pages?"

Tifa looked across at the younger girl and replied, "You'd be surprised. Reading a book is a much simpler way of traveling to other worlds." Yuffie frowned, resuming balance on both her hands as she looked back at Tifa and asked, "How do you mean?"

Tifa chuckled and shrugged, dark locks of her long hair falling over her ruby eyes. "If you don't know, I can't help you, Yuffie." The younger girl frowned back at Tifa and upon spotting the mirth in her eyes stuck her tongue out in retaliation.

Aqua chuckled as she watched the two, her sapphire eyes glancing back at the spines of the middle row-

She blinked, looking back at them. That was odd. All the volumes had white spines, each a continuation of their collection…

But the book in the very middle was a solid black.

Frowning, Aqua peered closer at it.

The title read 'Forze de Male'.

Blinking, Aqua reached out and wit ha single finger, slowly pulled the book out form it's spot. It didn't come easy, it felt almost jammed in there-

A sudden click rang out in the room, drawing Tifa and Yuffie's attentions.

Aqua flinched back as the book slid back into place and the whole shelf rumbled, then began to slide back against the wall revealed behind it. Aqua stared in wonder at the room suddenly before her.

Yuffie grinned cheekily as she jumped and flipped back onto her feet and looked at Tifa as she said, "Well, look's like Blue found a secret passage! And here I thought we had found 'em all!"

Tifa frowned, trying to peer over the balcony but was unable to see what Yuffie could.

Aqua stared at the revealed space in wonder. It looked like a small bedroom, the bed in the far back with a desk filling up most of the small space, various beakers and test tubes littering it's surface, all dusty and cobweb covered. As Aqua stepped inside, she could also make out some papers under the dust. Yuffie was behind her in moments while Tifa was walking down the stairs towards them. The young girl looked around, quickly exploring the room while Aqua was still at the desk, touching various things.

Yuffie, "Huh. Looks like someone had a private little place, all to themselves."

Aqua nodded absently, not really hearing her as she touched a loose sheet of paper but was unable to make out the words on it, too much time having passed, the ink faded. Aqua dragged her fingers away and then noticed something else. There was a single drawer in the desk.

Aqua pulled on it but it was stuck. No, locked. Yuffie heard a sudden rattling and looked back at Aqua, seeing the drawer and said, "Guess you need a key. Good luck, we kinda lost the spares for all the doors and stuff around here." Her tone was sarcastic, but not mocking. Aqua nodded in understanding. No keys, huh? Well, she could improvise.

Tifa was just waking over when Aqua extended her hand out, and in a flash of light called her Keyblade into existence. Yuffie flinched back, yelping. "Whoa, Blue! Warn a girl before you whip it out, alright?"

Ignoring Yuiffe, which was quickly becoming very easy, Aqua back up a little, lining her Keyblade up against the drawer. Then, she tapped the tip against the keyhole, once. A resounding metallic click echoed and the drawer slid loose.

Yuffie nodded, impressed. Yuffie, "Man, I bet that would come in real handy…" she trailed off while Tifa just continued to watch from afar. Aqua lowered her Keyblade, dispelling it in a series of sparks and reached out for the drawer-

"Hey!" "It's finally open!" "Hmph. About time."

Aqua gasped and jumped back as there were three sudden flashes of bright yellow and blue and dark red.

Aqua blinked, seeing spots-

Then stared, mouth almost agape.

Yuffie groaned. "Oh not them again!"

'Them' referred to the three small creatures floating in front of Aqua, hovering over the opened drawer. The middle one reached into the drawer and squealed happily. "Ooh! There's something pretty in here!"

The one on the right bounced in anticipation. "Is it treasure?"

The one on the left sighed moodily. "Just grab it already."

There was a shifting sound and the three small creatures whirled around, the middle one triumphantly raising their prize wit ha cry of, "Ta-da!"

Aqua blinked, finally seeing these strange creatures.

They looked like tiny girls, but the resemblance ended there.

The one on the left now was dressed in yellow, to match her long blonde hair, top and skirt, pale white stockings on her skinny legs and like Aqua she wore bell sleeves on her arms. She had a long red scarf wrapped around her neck, the ends ending in strange, pointed yellow tips, almost like wings.

The middle wore and white and pink top and a short blue skirt over a longer light blue and white striped one, long bleu boots and her long brown hair was tied in a single pony tail, the clip at the end resembling a pair of white angel wings. Interestingly, one of her eyes was green like the blonde ones, but the other was blue.

The last one was a stark contrast to the first two, dressed entirely in black, a tank top, shawl, shorts and matching boots and stockings. Her hair was a greyer shade of brown than the middle ones, her red eyes annoyed. Behind her back, a pair of black, bat like wings fluttered slowly.

Aqua took their appearance in an instant before her eyes landed on what the middle one was holding in both of her tiny hands.

Aqua lunged out, hand grasping for it but the tiny creatures-fairies- squealed and scattered, regrouping at a higher spot, well out of Aqua's reach.

"Hey watch it!" The blonde one yelled, green eyes indignant.

The dark one scowled at Aqua, red eyes annoyed. "Keep your hands to yourself."

Aqua looked pleadingly up at the three fairies and said, "Please, give that back!"

The blonde blinked, asking, "Huh?" She looked at the middle one, scratching her head as she asked, "But didn't we find it?"

Yuffie suddenly said, "Don't bother, Aqua. Once they see something shiny, or something they just want, you may as well get a new one cause they won't give it back." She crossed her arms and pouted. "Especially ice cream..." she mumbled to herself.

Aqua gasped, looking back up at the fairies, a new desperate light in her eyes.

"Actually…"

The fairies blinked, all three turning to look at Tifa as the martial artist spoke up.

Tifa raised a single finger, smiling slightly. Tifa, "Aqua was the one who unlocked it. So, technically, she found it first."

The middle fairy looked thoughtful at that but the darker one scowled even more as she snapped, "So? We grabbed it."

The blonde one nodded, trying her best to imitate her companion's tough tone as she said, "Yeah, so it's ours!"

She looked at the dark one, grinning but the other sighed in annoyance, shaking her head and rubbing her forehead. The middle one still looked thoughtful, glancing at their prize and back at Aqua.

Tifa went on, undeterred. "Ah, but isn't the first rule of treasure hunting 'finders keepers'? Aqua found it first so…" She trailed off, still smiling.

The blonde and dark fairies looked ready to keep protesting when the middle one suddenly spoke up.

"She's right." Her voice was soft, not as soft as the blondes', but definitely more delicate than the dark ones'. The blonde's eyes bugged out and she frantically waved her arms out. "But Yunnie!" She whined.

The dark one sighed, defeated and annoyed. "Ugh, goody little two shoes…"

Aqua blinked, shocked as the middle one gently floated down to eye level, smiling kindly as she carefully dropped the item into her hand. "All yours!" she sang, before bowing to Aqua and still smiling, said, "It was nice to meet you!

Then she floated back up to her companions and vanished in a flash of blue.

The blonde one sighed sadly, scarf ends drooping, before she too, disappeared in a flash, this time yellow.

The dark one gave Aqua one last scowl before she vanished in a burst of red.

Aqua stared at the spot they had been hovering over before looking at the item in her hand, eyes unbelieving.

Yuffie moved past Aqua towards Tifa, her look one of bewilderment. Yuffie, "So that's how you beat pixies? With childish logic?"

Tifa smirked at the younger girl. Tifa, "I'm surprised you didn't figure that out sooner." Yuffie nodded, but then she realized the implication and said, "Hey!"

Tifa chuckled, then looked back at Aqua. Yuffie stomped away, grumbling. Aqua never registered them, only continued to stare at her the item. Her sapphire eyes glanced at Tifa's ruby ones and she whispered, "Thank you."

Tifa nodded, her look understanding. Tifa, "It means something to you, I can tell."

Then she turned and followed after Yuffie.

Aqua watched her go before looking back at her hand, eyes still unbelieving.

The item she held was small, filling her palm and woven together in a series of five points studded with silver, a brown string of cloth hanging from the tip of the top most point. Like a star. The materials were made of carved shells, polished to shine a healthy orange. In the center was a golden emblem, shaped like a heart.

Aqua could hardly believe what she held. Slowly, she reached into her own pocket and pulled out a second one, identical to the one she now held save it was a light blue and the heart emblem was silver.

Aqua stared at the two wayfinders, her earlier disbelief and shock fading into happiness and a sudden eager, anticipation.

She pocketed both items and rushed after Yuffie and Tifa.

It was time to catch up with Terra and Stitch.

* * *

The three women had left the library and main hallway, heading for the passageway Terra and Stitch had entered.

Almost immediately, Aqua had been separated from the two, lost among the twisting corridors and rusting pipes. The blue haired maiden brushed a lock of her hair, annoyed. How was someone supposed to find their way around this place?

She turned right, down another almost collapsed path and paused, eyes narrowing, lips curving in a frown. She could hear something, a soft sound. Slowly easing her way past another turn, Aqua saw it lead into an open area where all the corridors intercepted and met. The sound was louder, and Aqua saw the source of them.

"Stitch?" she asked, sapphire eyes spotting the blue alien sitting on the floor. The furball's drooped ears suddenly sprang up and he whirled around, an excited gleam in his eyes, mouth open in a toothy grin. "Ah-koo, wa!" He broke into a sprint, racing towards her and jumping into her arms.

Aqua giggled as Stitch chattered excitedly in his strange language. She looked around the open area, expecting to see Terra somewhere nearby, probably emerging from one of the corridors, no doubt as lost as Aqua. His sense of direction was worse then hers, she thought with another giggle, stepping closer into the room.

Her smile soon faded, replaced with a slight frown. Terra was no where to be seen. Stitch suddenly whimpered in her arms. Blinking, Aqua looked down at the alien-

A flash of light glinting off steel caught her eye and she gasped. Terra's new sword, the 'gift' from the blonde warrior, Cloud, lay on the ground. Aqua stared at the blade, eyes wide. And then she saw the drops of blood around it.

Aqua gasped, her eyes following the trail of drops, noting how small or large the group of drops became. But they all led into the last hallway, which was in surprisingly better condition then the rest of the castle.

Stitch whimpered nervously as she stepped towards it, and Aqua looked down at the alien, noting his ears were once more drooped. Aqua, "Stitch, what is it? Where's Terra? What happened to him?" She tried to keep the panic from her voice, but she wasn't succeeding.

Stitch suddenly squirmed in her arms and jumped free from her grasp, landing back on the floor on all fours. He looked back and forth from the corridor to Aqua, his big eyes tinged with worry. Stitch looked back at Aqua and said, "Terra, said stay."

Aqua looked thoughtfully at Stitch, then back at the corridor, trying and failing to ignore the drops of blood leading down it. Aqua, "He told you to stay here?" Stitch nodded, once again looking back in worry.

Making her obvious decision, Aqua started down the hallway and behind her, Stitch suddenly panicked, chasing after her and tugging on her long skirts, babbling in his own language with a worried tone. Aqua stopped and turned, looking back down at Stitch. She smiled, hopefully reassuring, and said soothingly, "It's alright. He told you to stay, but not me. I'll check on him, ok?"

Stitch looked a little unconvinced, no doubt sensing Aqua's unease, but his claws eased their grip on her skirts and he stepped back, ears still drooping sadly. Aqua gave him one last reassuring smile before turning back towards the hallway, her eyes lingering on the blood. Then she started back down the hall, turning slowly, eyes wandering and spotting a single door at the end of the hall, which was in much better condition then the rest of the halls.

Aqua briefly wondered if this area had somehow escaped the damages or if the Committee had worked a little harder on fixing this spot more than the other locations around the castle. Brushing her thoughts aside, Aqua continued down the hall, quickly coming up to the door. But her hand paused just over the knob.

It was already open just a crack.

Aqua pulled her hand back slightly, then steeled her resolve before pushing the door open a little farther. "Terra?" She called, pushing the door open completely and stepping inside. "Are you-?" She stopped as she entered the room, eyes widening.

She now stood in an office or study, a single desk in the far back of the room, various shelves against the pale yellow walls, papers scattered over the floor and broken test tubes and beakers littering the single desk. The walls had various writings on them, formulas and equations she couldn't comprehend. But none of that mattered at the moment.

What mattered to her right now was Terra, and the darkly clad warrior was standing right across to her with his back turned, his eyes dead set on something Aqua couldn't see because of his large frame.

Hesitantly, Aqua took another step, unnerved by how still, how quiet, Terra was. Aqua, "Terra? Terra, what are you-"

"It was him."

Aqua froze, almost jumping at the sound of Terra's voice. He had hissed the words, practically spat them out with such venom, such _hate_.

"T-Terra? What-"

Terra interrupted her again, his voice rising. "He did this, Aqua. Left this world in ruin, let those Heartless monsters run rampant, killed and destroyed thousands of innocent lives! He did this!"

The earth warrior was shaking with fury now, fists clenched at his sides.

Aqua could only stare at him in confusion and growing horror, not understanding at all the reason behind his sudden anger.

"Terra," she plead, voice almost cracking, "What are you saying? Who did what?"

Terra's shaking form suddenly whirled around and Aqua gasped in fright, jumping back at the sight of Terra's wide, enraged cobalt eyes. Terra, "Who do you think?" He swung his arm out, pointing at something behind himself as he roared, "He did all this wearing my face and using my hands!"

As soon as he said that, Aqua knew.

Her eyes followed his outstretched arm, and widened when they saw the source of Terra's anger.

It was a large portrait, framed in gold. It was a bust shot of a young man, perhaps in his early twenties, skin bronze, long hair a dead white, his eyes a strange shade of brown. Despite the few but obvious physical differences, the man in the shot was a dead ringer for Terra standing across from her.

But it wasn't Terra, not the Terra she had known and grown up with.

Aqua's hand instinctively reached towards her neck, unable to resist the sudden feel of hard fingers wrapped around it.

Terra didn't notice this, his hard eyes on the portrait again, narrowed in fury unmatched. Terra, "He did this, Aqua. I don't know how he got here, or how long he was here, but he did it." He reached up, gloved fingers touching his cheek, though he flinched as if repulsed by the feel of his own skin.

Aqua reached out for her friend, her voice soft and soothing, "Terra-"

"Don't," he growled. She stopped, mere inches from touching his shoulder.

Terra looked from her, then back to the portrait. His shoulders slumped, defeated. "I…I thought I could live…with just the blood of our master on my hands…but this…Aqua, how am I supposed to go on knowing…" He stretched his hands out, looking around the disheveled office in dismay.

"I did this…All of this…my hands…my hands are stained with all this blood, Aqua…"

The sorrow, the agony in his voice was tearing Aqua's heart in two. It was all she could do not to break down into tears.

Terra suddenly chuckled, dark and bitterly. The sound frightened Aqua. Aqua, "Terra?"

Terra refused to meet her gaze, keeping his eyes locked on the floor. Terra, "That old man…he knew. Somehow, he knew."

Flames burst in Terra's hand, and before Aqua could react he had swung his arm out, throwing a dark red fireball straight at the face of the portrait. It burst into flames instantly. Aqua watched in horror while Terra lowered his smoking hand, dark bangs hiding his eyes.

Terra, "…He didn't send us here for a 'second chance'…At least not me…"

He moved past her, walking slowly, boots making heavy footfalls as he moved away from her carefully, never looking into her eyes or touching her. Aqua was unable to take her eyes off the burning portrait but she snapped out of her daze when Terra spoke again, with finality.

"He sent me here to be punished."

Aqua whirled around, gasping out, "Terra, wait-"

She reached out for him, her fingers barely skimming his shoulder but Terra jerked out of her grasp.

"Don't!" He snapped, still refusing to look at her.

Aqua flinched back, sapphire eyes wide with hurt.

Terra started to turn but stopped, hesitating. "I…I need to be alone for a while." And then he continued on, walking pass the open door and into the hallway.

Aqua stood there, slowly pulling her hand back, clutching at her chest, right over her heart.

This was familiar, too familiar.

Memories rose, unbidden and unwanted, but flashing before her eyes, echoing in her ears.

"_Just stay put! I'm on my own now, all right?"_

"_Terra, please listen!"_

"_You're awful, Aqua… Now that you're a Keyblade master, you've let it go to your head…"_

Her hand clenched over her heart, her watery eyes focusing, gleaming like precious stones.

No, she wouldn't stand by this time and watch him walk away, further down the path of darkness.

Not this time.

Determined, Aqua walked after Terra, her hand gripping his wayfinder tightly.

She vowed he would not go astray, and she would not let him.

If the darkness kept pulling him back into it's depths…

She would be his guiding light.

* * *

"Ugh, how could we lose Blue? I hate this castle…"

Tifa sighed again as Yuffie continued to prattle on and on, with every turn and twist down the dark halls. Though the female fighter was also perturbed by how quickly they had lost Aqua in the darkened corridors. Still, all the paths led o the same spot and so they were bound to meet up with her sooner or later.

As the two women rounded the last turn, arriving in the open area where all the corridors met, they were greeted with a surprise.

"Squall!" Yuffie squealed, sprinting towards the leather clad man.

The gunblade slinger scowled and groaned, easily holding the smaller girl back with a single finger.

"For the last time, it's Leon."

Yuffie stopped and shrugged. "Whatever. Squall's a cooler sounding name then boring old Leon." She looked thoughtful for a second. "But I guess it's more appropriate."

Exclaiming in disgust, he shoved pass the girl and turned his icy eyes to Tifa. He looked around for a moment before asking, "Where are Terra and Aqua?"

Tifa shrugged. Tifa, "Aqua was with us earlier but we got separated in the halls. I thought Terra was here, with Stitch, but I guess not."

Leon scowled, growling in aggravation. Leon, "You mean you let her wander off on her own?"

Tifa met Leon's scowl evenly, unimpressed. Tifa, "She's a grown woman, and more than capable of taking care of herself."

Yuffie nodded behind Leon. "Yeah, you should have seen her, Squall! She was taking out Heartless in the dozens!" Leon blinked, looking back at Yufffie, shocked by her exclamation to the point of forgetting to correct her. He started to say something then stopped, sighing.

"Whatever." He started down the last hallway, towards Ansem's office. He beckoned Yuffie and Tifa after him with a jerk of his head, long brown locks shaking over his scarred face. "Come on. We need to get to the computer terminal."

Yuffie nodded, snapping a salute. "Right-o!" And dashed after Leon. Tifa, rather reluctantly, also followed after.

In moments they were in the office and instantly spotted the burnt and ruined portrait. Yuffie's eyes widened. "Whoa! What happened to Xeha-jerk's ugly mug? I mean, I hated that thing, but it went with the creepy décor of this place."

Both Tifa and Leon stared at the smoking ruin, neither knowing what to say. Tifa asked, "Could a Heartless have done this?" She looked to Leon, ruby eyes wondering.

Leon was just as lost, icy blues narrowed in thought. Leon, "They don't venture back here…and since when do they destroy art pieces?"

Yuffie wandered closer towards the burnt piece, shrugging after a moment. "Meh, no great loss," she declared.

For once neither Leon or Tifa could find argument. Deciding the issue of the destroyed painting simply wasn't worth any more time, Leon moved towards the wall, hand reaching out and touching a certain spot. A tile gave way, pushing back and flashing. A split second later the whole wall flashed, revealing sleek metal walls and walkway.

Ansem's lab.

The three headed on into the huge area, footsteps echoing loudly. Yuffie shivered, rubbing her exposed arms. Yuffie, "Brr…you'd think old Ansme would have installed heating…"

Once more, the young girl's comments and complaints were entirely ignored. Leon walked over to the computer terminal in front of the massive laser device, Yuffie and Tifa hovering a few feet back. Leon quickly typed a few strokes across the board, keys clicking rapidly. Then he paused as the monitor emitted a whirr, the power up time seeming ot take longer than usual.

Then there was a loud ping and the screen brightened.

"Greetings Users!" A familiar voice rang out.

Leon breathed a sigh of relief for a breath he hadn't know he had been holding while Tifa smiled and Yuffie clapped her hands happily. Yuffie, "Hey compy! What's happening?"

Tron paused, the monitor dimming. Tron, "Um, I am unable to reply. The question's too…ambiguous. Do you mean, what is happening in the town, or the castle?"

Leon sighed while Yuffie laughed. Leon, "Tron, ignore her. I started the aux. power like Cid said. Is that enough to establish a communication link to the castle and a scan for all remaining Heartless in the castle?"

A pause, the screen dimming, then brightening.

Tron, "Sufficient power levels, though I can't say for how long. I shall establish the link and begin the scan but that may take a few micro-cycles." Leon nodded and waited, fingers hovering over the keys as the screen dimmed again.

Yuffie bounced on the soles of her feet while Tifa calmly crossed her arms behind her back. Yuffie, "Ugh, I hate waiting…"

Another ping resounded and a small window popped on the screen, audio coming in a second later.

"-and if you ever do that again, I'll bust out my old spear! Let's see how that compares to your little wand! I'll show you how we dealt pain in MY day!"

Leon sighed again while both Tifa and Yuffie giggled at the sound of Cid's voice.

Leon declared firmly, "Cid."

The voice trialed off after several choice obscenities. Then Cid's disheveled face appeared in the window. Cid, "Huh. You lot. Guess you made it in one piece after all."

Leon scowled at the older man while Yuffie scoffed, placing her hands on her hips. Yuffie, "Yeah right! Like a bunch of Heartless could ever defeat the great ninja Yu-"

"'Great ninja Yuffie', yeah, yeah," Cid drawled, bored. Yuffie's cheeks flared up and she started to spout several of Cid's own favorite words back at him. But then the monitor brightened and Tron hesitantly spoke up.

"Um, may I interrupt?"

Leon and cid turned their attention to the program. Cid, "What'chu got Tron? The auxiliary help any?"

Tron's screen brightened. "Yes, but I don't bring any good news. Scanner show that Leon and the others only managed to destroy one-hundred and nineteen Heartless."

Yuffie gaped and cried back indignantly, "ONLY?"

Tron continued. "Out of two-hundred and seventy seven."

Leon sighed deeply, before suddenly smashing fist down on the keyboard, making Tron yelp once again. Yuffie groaned in utter misery, pressing her hands over her eyes. Even Tifa looked at a lost. Sure they had destroyed way more Heartless, but they all their limits…

Leon looked back at the window, staring almost pleadingly back at Cid. Leon, "Cid, please tell me you've figured out a way to get Claymore back online sooner. We can't go after these Heartless if they're spread out all over the castle."

Yuffie grumbled behind him. "No way am I going on a bug hunt in this damp, musty old place…"

Still ignoring her, Cid chewed thoughtfully on his toothpick. Then grinned at the younger man, a glint in his eye.

Cid, "I may have jerry-rigged somethin' up while y'all was away…" Chuckling, he turned, looking at something out of view of the window.

Back at the cottage, Cid grinned down on the entrapped Sparky, the yellow alien looking back curiously at the pilot.

* * *

"Am I the only one who thinks this is the most insane idea ever thought up of?"

Yuffie didn't seem to be able to realize everyone was still ignoring her.

The three stood in the old reactor of the castle, weeds overgrowing certain spots, but the place was in surprisingly better condition than most of the town. After telling them his extremely risky plan, Cid had told them to head over there while he got what he needed before meeting up with them.

Leon tapped his fingers against his arm, sighing. Leon, "I don't like it either…but at this point I'm willingly to try anything."

Tifa remained silent, more curious then cautious as compared to her companions. Yuffie groaned, wringing her hands nervously. Yuffie, "But this? I mean we just found that thing and-"

There was a sudden burst of pink and blue glowing dust only a few feet away from the three, causing all of them to whirl and look at the cloud of magical dust in surprise. The sound of loud, hacking coughs soon followed, and as the dust settled and faded, two figures could be seen, one tall and stocky, while the other was shorter, more delicate.

Leon gasped sharply, then scowled quickly when the dust faded entirely, revealing the two, one expected, the other not so much.

Leon, "Aerith, I thought I told you to stay at the cottage."

The flower girl smiled back, innocently blinking her forest green eyes. Aerith, "Yeahhh…but I really wanted to see this, and it doesn't look like there are any Heartless around…soooo…" She trailed off, grinning impishly.

Yuffie giggled behind the leather clad gunblade slinger. Yuffie, "She's got you there, Squally…" She sang.

"Zip it," he snapped back, ignoring her laughs. He looked back at Cid noticing the older man was carrying several items ranging from a box of tools to several cables slung over his shoulder and an object Leon couldn't make out carried under his other arm.

Leon, "Do you have everything?"

Cid nodded, shouldering his various items. Cid, "Yep, least I hope I do. Don't wanna head back that way again. Nearly hacked up a lung…"

Yuffie rolled her eyes and asked teasingly, "Shouldn't you be use to a little smoke by now?"

Cid shot her a glare. "Hey, I quit didn't I?"

Giving her no more attention, Cid trudged towards the main controls of the reactor, and Leon finally got a good look at the item under his arm. It was the clear glass vase Terra and Stitch had trapped Sparky in, the yellow alien in question looking around with his big blue eyes, growling softly in his buzzing voice.

Yuffie saw the experiment as well, and her demeanor shifted back to worried. Yuffie, "I'd once again like to say how much I think this a bad idea…"

Cid settled down by the main reactor and began spreading out his tools and equipment, placing Sparky down as he replied, "Noted and not caring."

Yuffie glared at the pilot's back but for once stayed silent. Everyone watched silently as Leon began attaching and adjusting various items on the reactor controls, working quickly but carefully, not wanting to misfire this by even an small margin.

When Cid attached the cables he had been carrying, Leon spoke up again, "Are sure this will work?"

Cid snorted. "Sure as eggs is eggs. If I did the numbers right, and I usually do, this little guy over here," he tapped Sparky's container with a single knuckle, causing the alien to jump, sparks discharging from his antennas. Cid resumed, "Is givin' off enough juice to power a lighthouse…heck, ten lighthouses. So I figure," He raised to jumper cables and looked back at the younger group.

"He can give this old reactor a nice little boost, like jumpin' a dead battery. That'll restore the power to the castle and reboot Claymore. Several problems solved in one shot."

Aerith smiled brightly, already convinced it would go off without a hitch. Even Tifa looked impressed by the simplicity of it. Yuffie still frowned and Leon of course remained hesitant. Leon, "You figure?"

Cid shrugged, dropping the jump cables and bending down towards Sparky. Cid, "Eh. You never know, but I'm pretty sure it'll work."

Yuffie moaned loudly.

Ignoring her, Cid reached for the vase, looking at Sparky seriously, the alien meeting his gaze evenly. Cid, "Alright little buddy. You ready?"

The experiment's antennas sparked and he nodded eagerly. Without much else needed, Cid removed the lid at the top of the vase and Sparky surged free into the air, stubby legs melding into a tail of crackling lightning. Leon's hand instantly went to grasp his gunblade's hilt and Yuffie's jerked, fingers flinching to grasp her shuriken. Even Tifa jumped slightly, fists clenching.

Only Aerith and Cid looked unconcerned and their faith was rewarded as Sparky slowly circled around Cid, buzzing in delight at finally being free. Cid smiled up at the alien, a genuine smile. Cid, "Bet it feels good to stretch you legs after being cooped up in there for a day." He paused, glancing at Sparky's tail.

"Well…you get the idea."

Pickign up the jumper cables, Cid looked back at Sparky and said, "Ok buddy, do your thing." And then attached the first, then the second to both of Sparky's antennas.

The yellow alien closed its' eyes in concentration, paws clenching tightly. Slowly its' whole body began to glow a bright blue, sparks discharging strongly. Within moments, hundreds of thousands of volts of electricity began to travel through the cables and into the reactor.

And then…

Something amazing happened.

* * *

Terra had no idea how long or how far he wandered around the castle. After leaving the office and Aqua, he had collected his sword, ignoring Stitch's cries and stormed off, back into the dark halls of the castle. Several times, he had spotted the glowing yellow eyes of the Heartless watching him. But as soon as he got close enough to them, they retreated into the shadows.

They were smarter then he gave them credit for.

His purposeless wandering led him outside on a balcony outside the castle. The fresh air did nothing to calm him.

Slowly, he stepped up to the railing, gripping the bar with both hands as he peered into the misty valley below. His mind was finally quiet, no thoughts, no memories, old and not his own, plaguing him. Just the revelation of why he was here.

Slowly turning his palms up, Terra peered down at his hands, the rough calloused skin hidden by black leather. He once more looked over his attire. This cloak…where had it come from? How had he gotten it?

His thoughts wandered from his clothes, and back to the uncomfortable truth.

He had lost so many years of his life.

And in all those years, how many worlds, how many innocent people, had Xehanort cut down and swallowed in darkness, wearing that horrible sneer on his own face, his cobalt eyes hidden in orbs of golden fire?

Terra tilted his head back, heads still raised, palms flat.

How much blood would he have to live with?

Too much.

Too much, to ever even think of hope for a second chance…a chance for redemption…

Metal clanked against the balcony floor behind him, slowly, almost gently. Terra turned slowly, but upon catching just a hint of blue he immediately averted his gaze.

Terra, "I said I needed to be alone, Aqua."

Aqua stared at Terra's back, her hand still held to her chest, fingers clenched over the orange wayfinder. His.

Steeling herself, Aqua took a breath before replying, "And I know that's exactly the opposite of what you need right now."

Terra scoffed, almost mockingly. "And what do I need right now?" He practically sneered the words and he hated that. He hated taking his frustrations out on her, but he was beyond bottling them up…

Aqua went on, unaffected by his words. "I know you need someone to help you, Terra. I know you need reassurance…because…"

"Because what?" he snapped out, rounding on her, cobalt eyes wide with fury. Aqua swallowed gain, but did not flinch back from his rage.

Aqua, "…Because I should have followed after you…on that day…instead of letting you run off and led astray."

Terra blinked, completely shocked. He remembered that day all to well, his anger towards Aqua, his battle with that stranger, the rush of dark power flowing through his veins…

And Xehanort's words, every one of his silken, poisoned words, weaving false promises.

Aqua took a small step towards Terra, and when it went unnoticed, she chanced another. All the while she went on. "You were alone…and Xehanort…he used that to his advantage…his only real advantage over you…He fed the dark fires with your anger…and I'm to blame."

Terra's eyes widened. "Aqua, no-"

"Yes!" she interrupted, her head bowed to hide her teary eyes, both her hands now clutching at her chest, squeezing the unseen wayfinder tightly, drawing courage and strength from it.

Taking another breath, she went on. "I-I let my pride an arrogance get to my head…I let my title as Master influence me…and that's why…that's why you wandered alone for so long and how Xehanort was able to make your darkness grow out of control. He deceived you…because I couldn't swallow my pride."

Inhaling shakily, she looked up at Terra and almost lost her nerve when she saw him staring at her so intently. "Aqua…" He whispered.

"Terra…I'm not going to let my pride get in the way again…I'm not going to let the darkness take you…I'm…" She trialed off, taking another breath, praying she could get her words out without breaking down.

"I'm going to help you this time…I'm going to help you heal…I promise…"

Terra stared at the water maiden before him, at a lost to what to say.

He settled for breathing her name out again, almost breathlessly.

"Aqua…"

And then, slowly, carefully, as if not to frighten her, he reached out for her, his fingers mere inches from touching her…

* * *

Through the castle and then through the town, streams of tamed lightning surged through unseen.

And then, within the crumbling walls, streams of data appeared, followed by glowing orbs of light, each pinging loudly before vanishing. Several of them came into contact with the Heartless and exploded, destroying them in one blast.

The same orbs appeared through out town and the people cheered upon seeing their defense against the darkness restored.

But what happened next…

A powerful rumble shook throughout the town.

The committee in the reactor all swayed on their suddenly unsteady feet. Yuffie flailed about, screeching, "Whoa! Hey, what's happening? Cid!"

The mechanic laughed, almost seeming to enjoy the rumbling.

Leon managed to steady himself, gritting his jaw down. What was happening?

In the canyon pass to the castle, the darkly clad swordsman opened his eyes, watching the rumbling walls of the canyon side shake and several rocks fall loose.

Outside the castle walls, deep underground, a deep groan echoed through old pipelines. Soon that sound was drowned out by a much louder noise. The sound of rushing water.

The rumbling finally ceased and the people righted themselves, wondering what could happen next.

Outside the town, rocks began to shift and fall loose, water spilling from the cracks.

Yuffie blinked as she heard something. A sound, familiar…way too familiar.

Her chocolate orbs widened. "No way…" She breathed.

Soon the others recognized it as well, all looking equally shocked. It wasn't possible. Only Cid looked unsurprised, but his expression was eager and hopeful.

Outside, the rocks finally gave way, bursting aside as powerful, huge jets of water shot up and out. The massive geysers rose into the air in uneven numbers, all of them surrounding the city and castle. The inhabitants looked on in awe and confusion.

The Committee members stared, equally awed.

It was Leon, uncharacteristically, who broke the stunned silence.

"The falls…the reverse falls…they're back…" He breathed out, humbled beyond anymore words.

Cid let out a triumphant hoot, clapping his hands together in delight. Cid, "I knew it would work! I knew it!"

Everyone looked at him, expressions begging for answers. Cid grinned, flicking his toothpick. "Every chance I got, I've been working on the old pipeline sytem that managed the falls, but we never had enough juice to star their pumps. This reactor coulda done it, but it was dead." He glanced at Sparky, still glowing and releasing his stored reserves of power, and his grinned widened. "Then along comes Sparky…and here we are…"

With that revelation, Yuffie let out her loudest cheer yet before power charging into the old pilot, hugging him tightly.

Yuffie, "You did it you old coot! You really did it!" she had tears running down her cheeks, she was so happy.

Aerith clasped her hands over her mouth, her eyes also shining with tears. _It's just like before…when this was the shining star of the sky…_ She thought, laughing happily.

Tifa watched the falls, her expression one of genuine happiness and relief, ruby eyes glittering as she watched the waters sparkle. She had no words, didn't need any…Seeing this was enough.

Leon stared at the falls, his knees buckling under him, and he almost collapsed. His eyes were brimming with tears as he stared at the falls, memories rushing over him of the city in it's glory days.

_So close…we're so close…it's almost like it was…_

In the canyon, Cloud stood on a tall cliff, watching the reverse falls, his expression blank and focused as always. But, slowly, almost shyly and unsure, he too, began to smile.

The townspeople were cheering as they watched the symbol of their home restored at last, the water clean and pure as they remembered.

Back on the balcony, Terra had almost touched Aqua when the falls suddenly sprang up, surprising both of them as they whirled to watch the spectacle.

Terra watched, amazed as he remembered the falls from years ago, suddenly restored. He chuckled lightly. "Well, how 'bout that…"

Aqua smiled beside him and looked back up at his face. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw his expression, a smile on his face replacing his tortured look from before.

Now, do it now, her mind, no, her heart urged her.

Reaching out, she grasped his hand with her own. Terra blinked, looking at her in surprise. He felt his cheeks flush with warmth and he suddenly found himself praying Aqua didn't notice.

The water maiden smiled gently at the earth warrior, her sapphire eyes sparkling kindly, the sound of rushing water soothing their racing hearts.

Speaking gently as rolling waves, Aqua went on. "Terra…I know…that man did not send us here so you could be punished for Xehanort's sins. I think…" she looked at the falls for a moment, then back into Terra's eyes. "I think, he sent us here, not only for our own second chance, but for this world's own too. I think…he wanted use to help these people…to mend the scars Xehanort left. That's what I th-No, that's what I know, in my heart, is the truth."

Her words sinking deeply, Terra could not find his own to respond with, only stare at her, awed.

Very gently, Aqua slipped the orange wayfinder into Terra's palm, the same hand she held with her own.

Snapping out of his daze, he looked at the item, bewildered and uncomprehending for a moment.

And then he truly saw it.

"My-My wayfinder…" He gasped out, cobalt eyes wide. He looked back at Aqua, stuttering, "H-how, where…"

"Does it matter?" She asked, still smiling that same radiant look that had his heart pounding.

Terra couldn't respond, only look back at his charm. How had she found it? Had she held it this whole time? Or had she somehow stumbled on it in the castle?

But then as he clenched his fist over it, engulfing it in his whole hand, he realized what she said was true.

It didn't matter. It was here, in his hand, right now. And Aqua was standing next to him, smiling, as the falls rose around them.

Smiling back, his heavy heart at ease, he reached out, almost shyly, for her hand.

Just as shyly, she reached back and their fingers wove together, their charms touching against each other.

Smiling, no more words exchanged, they started towards the doorway back into the castle. No sooner had they stepped over the threshold, a triumphant cackle rang out and a bleu blur descended down on Terra's shoulders, happily tugging at his long brown locks.

Laughing, Terra glanced back while Aqua looked up, both seeing a grinning Stitch, his big black eyes brimming with happiness.

Stitch, "Terra happy again!"

Then he paused, looking carefully at the tall warrior.

Stitch, "…right?"

Laughing, Terra reached with his free hand, ruffling the alien's fluffy head.

"Very happy," he confirmed, looking back at Aqua.

His heart did a back flip when she saw her smiling in equal happiness, her free hand covering her mouth to stifle her laughter.

Together, hand in hand and alien on his shoulders, the three headed off to meet up with the committee.

* * *

He had ignored the return of the falls.

His focus had been entirely on _him_.

His hidden gaze had remained locked on Terra from the moment he had emerged from the castle.

The edges of his black cloak whipped in the wind from his high perch on the cliff, his a twin to the one Terra also wore, though opened to reveal his dark clothing, and the hood raised to hide his face in shadows, save for the faint outline of his jaw and some slight, scarred skin of his cheek.

And he was grinning, watching the tender exchange between the earth warrior and water maiden.

As the two turned and headed for the castle, the cloaked figure raised his right arm, arm extended, hand flexing open before his fingers closed, save for his index and thumb.

Like a pistol.

He lined his thumb up with Terra's head, dead set.

His hand suddenly recoiled, as if firing a shot.

"Bang," he breathed. Then grinned.

Laughing, he lowered his hand in a swipe as he turned, walking away, towards the shadow. They accepted him, cloaking him in darkness.

But his last words echoed from deep within them.

"Be seeing you soon…Terra…"

* * *

So, what can I say after seven months?

How can I explain my long absence?

Real life.

Nuff said.

I've been going through a lot of crap towards the end of 2011, though my spirits were lifted with the holidays and I was finally able to finish this bloody chapter.

Think of it as a late christmas present, slash new's year gift.

Hope your holidays were as good as mine and I hope this new year is a better one.

Till the next chapter.

(And it's a doozy...can anyone say...TERRA VS CLOUD REMATCH?)


	7. Update CloudKittyVII Edit

I'm not done with Fading Sentiment.

I'm looking back over this whole story and I will do everything about it to put it to it's full potential.

I can do better.

I will do better.

I'm going to tease and drag you guys along some more. ;)

I'm cutting the cord of giving up and moving on to higher goals .

Maybe one day I'll rewrite it, make it better, write it the way it should have been written. But that's not now, I have the confidence you will continue to enjoy this.

But for now, I will not be done.

I'll leave it up.

Until my muse returns, everyone I will come back for you.


	8. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: Shadows Within Light.

Finding their way down the castle was much, _much_, simpler than finding their way up and around it, which both Terra and Aqua had been grateful for. They had regrouped with the Committee at the front of the castle, their joined hands slipping, reluctantly, away from each other as they stepped outside. Yuffie was excitedly jumping up and down, waving her skinny arms as she praised the return of the reverse falls. Her reaction was the most vocal compared to her companions, but they seemed almost humbled at the sight of the rising geysers.

Leon was staring at them, hand resting on the hilt of his gunblade sheathed, head titled back, his dark brown locks almost hiding his ice blue eyes, but not hiding the first real smile Terra and Aqua had seen on his stoic face. Aqua was surprised how much younger it made him look.

Terra saw Aerith and Tifa standing a little bit away, side by side as they watched the falls. Both women had their backs to the rest of the group, Aerith's hands joined behind her back, head tipped back slightly, her long hair swaying a little. Tifa was rubbing the upper part of her left arm, her ruby eyes wandering away from the falls and towards the valley that led into the castle. She sighed wistfully, closing her burgundy orbs. Aerith looked at her companion, smiling cheerfully at her.

"It's okay," the healer said. "He's probably celebrating in his own way."

Tifa looked back at Aerith, forest green meeting ruby red, a small, sad smile on her lips.

"Oh, yeah!" Yuffie suddenly exclaimed. Everyone looked towards her and much to their surprise saw her giving a hug to Leon, who glanced at her, bewildered, more likely by her sudden proximity than her actions.

"They're back!" she exclaimed again, chocolate orbs still drawn to the majestic geysers of pristine water. "They're really back! I never imagined in a trillion years we'd get them back so soon…I'd thought I'd be a old as Cid before we even tried to fix them!"

That got an annoyed "Hey!" from said mechanic, who was just walking over, a tool kit in one hand while the other pointed an accusing finger at the ninja girl currently wrapped around the leather clad gunblade slinger. Yuffie just stuck her tongue out at Cid before smiling again, truly and genuinely. Cid grunted, but said nothing else, silently observing the committee and their reactions to the falls.

Soon his grey-blue eyes fell on Terra and Aqua, just on the outskirts of the rest of the group, quiet and hesitant to approach.

"There you two are!" He bellowed, making both of them jump and drawing the attentions of everyone else. Terra made a noise like a groan and a growl while Aqua just sighed. Stitch looked curiously from down by their legs towards his two oldest friends then towards his newest ones.

Cid was walking over, grinning despite Terra and Aqua's suddenly apprehensive looks. "I was wonderin' where you two wandered off," he said, glancing at Stitch before looking back at them, smiling, toothpick upraised.

Terra was at a lost for a response, suddenly very anxious as he recalled his…discovery in the castle's office and Aqua's promise and return of his Wayfinder. Still standing rather dumbly, he felt immense relief when Aqua suddenly spoke. "Well, we were both kind of…lost in the upper floors. I found Terra by the balconies and then the falls suddenly turned on. We caught up with Stitch and…well, just came back down." She stopped at that, glancing at Terra, both male and female noting slight relief yet new worry.

It was, more or less, the truth. But would the others accept it?

Cid didn't respond, just raised an eyebrow, toothpick drooping slightly. Tifa and Aerith glanced at the two as well, Tifa appearing mostly indifferent, yet couldn't hide the faint twinkle of curiosity, while Aerith's eyes gleamed with delighted mirth and knowing. Yuffie was once again smirking, arms still wrapped around Leon's neck while the young man was studying Terra and Aqua, stone like eyes and expression unreadable as always.

"Oh, you two got _lost_ did ya now?" Yuffie teased, winking slyly. Terra stiffened, cheeks tinting slightly while Aqua was almost full blown flushed and she suddenly started to pay very close attention to her feet, her blue bangs hiding her eyes. Stitch chuckled knowingly but yelped when Terra's boot connected with his back, sending the blue fur ball tumbling away. Rubbing his stinging backside, Stitch shot Terra a glare, the earth warrior returning the look with equal fervor.

Looking away, Stitch mumbled, "Tiki wee na…" under his breath. The alien jumped when Terra responded, "Yeah, I know a few bad words you might not understand either." The alien's ears drooped in defeat while Aerith and Yuffie giggled and Cid smirked again. The ninja's girl fun was suddenly interrupted as Leon stood up, callously dropping Yuffie off of his back and freeing his neck from her arms. Yuffie hit the dirt with a grunt and kick up of dust.

Now rubbing her own backside, she shot a hateful glare at Leon as he moved towards Terra and Aqua, calling, "Wanna warn a girl before you drop her, Squall?"

Not even replying with so much as a grunt, Leon kept walking towards Terra and Aqua, the two having stiffened again, this time with annoyed anticipation for one of his accusations and moody scowls. The younger man stopped by cid, looking at first at Terra, then Aqua, his eyes seeming to study them, though his scowl wasn't present on his face. Rather a more genuine curious expression replaced it.

"Lost, huh?" He asked.

Terra nodded. "Yeah. Lost." He replied, tone short.

And then come an even bigger surprise than the return of the falls.

Leon shrugged rather casually and said simply, "Well, it is a big castle. You're both here now so it's not a big deal."

Terra and Aqua could both only stare at Leon, eyes wide though they managed to keep their mouths from dropping agape.

The same couldn't be said for Yuffie who was now staring at Leon like he had grown a second head, completely dumbfounded. Cid simply gave single snort like chuckle, though his smile had returned, toothpick once more raised in the air. Aerith still had her smile, though the knowing mirth in her eyes was replaced with something like pride as she watched Leon. Tifa remained as indifferent as before, simply crossing her arms over her chest as she continued to watch, while Stitch remained none the wiser, head turning as his big eyes moved back and forth from one person to the next.

Leon turned to look at the three women, speaking up and saying, "Well, I think our work is done. Let's head back to town and catch up with Merlin. Cid, I'll need you to check to see if Claymore is back online and functioning properly." The former pilot nodded, toothpick once more dropping a little bit, now level and straight. With that, the gunblade slinger started walking again, striding past as still gaping Yuffie, pausing long enough to snatch her collar and once again drag her along side him towards the cliffs back to town.

Tifa shrugged, lowering her arms. With one glance towards Terra and Aqua, (A friendly smile for Aqua and an uncertain look for Terra, and a lingering moment as her ruby gaze fell on the sword he now wielded) the martial artist followed after the leather clad man and ninja girl. Aerith however continued to wait, patiently waiting for Terra and Aqua.

Cid started to follow after Leon but stopped, snapping his fingers and exclaiming, "Oh shoot! I almost forgot!"

He suddenly turned back towards Terra and Aqua, staring directly at Terra. The earth warrior flinched, still unused to such scrutiny. Though Cid's usual scowl was still gone, replaced by the first real happy look either Terra and Aqua had seen him give.

"I owe you a thanks," Cid said, thrusting his hand out to Terra. Terra blinked, looking from Cid's smiling face down to his outstretched hand, then back to his face. An "Um," was all Terra could think to say at first as he slowly accepted the older man's hand in a firm shake. "You're certainly welcome…though I can't say I understand why you owe me anything."

Cid tossed his head back as he barked a short laugh, looking back at the still befuddled Terra and saying, "Well, without you showing up I doubt we would have been able to restore the falls as quickly as we did."

Terra was still very confused, shaking his head and saying, "I don't understand."

Cid just kept smirking while a new noise suddenly announced itself, a series of crackling cackles accompanied by the faint smell of ozone. And then with a bang and burst of yellow electricity, Sparky appeared, circling around Cid before floating just above the mechanic's shoulder, a big toothy grin on his alien face, bright blue eyes wide and happy. For Terra it suddenly clicked, his expression brightening at the sight of the yellow alien, while Aqua stared curiously, having only seen the yellow doppelganger of Stitch up close a few times.

Cid glanced over and up at Sparky, still smiling, though he seemed to have brightened even more at the sight of the alien. "Hey there buddy," the ex-pilot greeted, then he returned his attention to Terra. "Yep, thanks to you finding this little guy, we were finally able to restart the castle's main generator, which in the past, had always been the town and the castle's main source of power. With it back on, we don't need to keep diverting the new generators in town here and we had more than enough spare juice to restart the falls."

"Huh," Terra said after a moment, before smiling reluctantly. "Who'd have a thought that?" He glanced out of the corner of his eyes, seeing Aqua was still looking at him, smiling as well. It wasn't a teasing smile, like he was use to from her, but a look that asked 'See?' He smiled back at her, nodding, and her smile brightened beautifully.

Cid's expression shifted once again, more humble, truly grateful. Terra was completely unused to this, almost missing the old man's scowls and snarled words.

"We owe you big, kid. You need anything, you come find me. Got that?" Cid asked.

Terra nodded, slowly. He honestly wondered what he would ever need from Cid, uncomfortable with the idea of the man being in his debt. Well, unused was the better word.

Sparky, who had watched the exchange between former enemy and new friend in silence, suddenly turned his curious gaze onto the blue haired female who had also been watching, a small smile gracing her beautiful face. Murmuring curiously, the electric alien floated past Cid and Terra, both blinking and looking up then around to watch Sparky glide towards Aqua. The water maiden only noticed Sparky's approach at the last second when the curious alien was suddenly very close to her face.

"Well hello there," she greeted, tone friendly, if not just a tad cautious, slightly nervous not because of Sparky. Though she was concerned about the electricity crackling around his antennas and lightning bolt streak tail. Sparky cocked his head, growling a curious "Murr?"

Slowly, she reached out to stroke Sparky's head. Terra flinched, saying ,"Aqua I wouldn't-"

But his warning came too late as Aqua's fingers brushed one of Sparky's antennas.

Terra gasped and Cid winced.

But to their mutual relief, Aqua did not receive the literal shock of her life from touching Sparky. Instead the yellow alien seemed to _purr_ and brush closer to her hand, rubbing his head against her gloved palm. Aqua giggled, closing her eyes and smiling in amusement. Terra chuckled once under his breath.

Who or what couldn't love Aqua? Her presence was soothing and calming as her namesake, making everyone want to be closer and know her.

Terra's thoughts paused once he realized what he had thought. Love? Why-

A low growl suddenly interrupted his inner questioning once again, and everyone glanced down towards the origin of the growl. It seemed someone else had watched the cute exchange between Aqua and Sparky, though he hadn't found it so cute. Stitch was glaring up at his cousin, eyes narrowed, ears flat and teeth bared.

Greatly amused, Aqua giggled, still stroking Sparky's head as she said to the suddenly irate Stitch, "Aww, I hope you're not jealous Stitch."

The blue fur ball huffed, turning his head angrily and crossing his arms, his snarl turning into a pout. Sparky suddenly shifted in midair, now hovering just over Aqua's shoulder to get a better look down on his cousin, a big triumphant grin painted all over his face.

Terra too found himself smirking at the little alien's actions while Cid just rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Well, I think I've had enough of this cutesy stuff ta last me a week." Cid made a little jerk with his head towards Sparky before turning and heading for the cliff passage back to town.

"C'mon, Sparky. Let's be getting' home," Cid called to the electrical alien as he continued to walk away.

Sparky gave Aqua one last thoughtful look, with her still smiling at him, and then he raced after Cid, floating just above the former pilot as the two headed off back for town. Aerith waved a goodbye to him but Cid either didn't see her or just ignored the gesture. Then the flower girl once more returned her attention to Terra and Aqua her mischievous smirk reappearing.

Once again that familiar sense of uncomfortable-ness besieged Terra and Aqua, both slightly looking away from Aerith's teasing expression. "Um, Aerith? Why are you still here?" Aqua asked, still keeping her sapphire eyes away from the flower girl's emerald orbs.

Aerith tipped her head back, looking thoughtful. "Oh," she replied, tone nonchalant, "Just making sure you two get back to town without getting…_lost_, again." She said the last part with another teasing smirk and both Terra and Aqua could feel their cheeks burning. Stitch gave his own little knowing cackle, but stopped once Terra gave him a deadly warning look, though the alien made no effort to wipe off his big grin.

Aeirth beckoned the trio with a wave, brushing her dress as she said, "Well, it's getting late. I think we've dily dalyed enough, wouldn't you?" She was still smiling, but no longer teasingly.

Aqua nodded, saying, "Yeah, it would be nice to be back in the cottage." Stitch nodded rapidly, uttering several, "Yea, Yea!" in total agreement. While Terra himself just nodded, if not a tad hesitantly and more reluctantly than he'd care to admit.

Once more making a beckoning motion, Aerith started towards the cliffs, Stitch eagerly scampering after her. Aqua also started to follow but paused once she realized Terra wasn't following. She turned back towards the earth warrior, surprised to see he hadn't moved at all and was now gazing up at the castle. That spark of familiarity was flashing deep in his cobalt eyes.

And…longing?

"Terra?" the water maiden called to the earth warrior, making him blink and look back at her suddenly nervous expression. "Are you…alright?" She asked, her voice soft, laced with an undertone of worry. The male smiled back, looking more cheerful than he normally appeared to be.

"Yeah, of course, I'm fine." Walking over, still smiling reassuringly. Relieved, Aqua smiled back and the two started after Aerith and Stitch.

Though she failed to see Terra's last glance back at the castle. In his mind, he was still thinking of that portrait and a part of him was beginning to wonder about why he had burned it. Had it been because of his rage, blinding him to rational action?

Or…

Had another part of him wanted to destroy the only evidence connecting him to Xehanort's crimes against this world?

Shaking his head, he cast those thoughts aside. It didn't matter. Right now he just wanted to catch up with Aqua and put this crumbling castle as far behind him as possible.

The mighty bastion loomed over the departing warriors and healer…

And, unseen on the balconies where Terra and Aqua's tender moment had occurred, a cloaked figure silently watched them go, his barely visible jaw revealing the faintest hint of a sneer.

* * *

The trip through the bailey back to town was uneventful, though Aerith's cheerful demeanor seemed to mellow out once she took several looks around the area, sighing once, her shoulders slumping. "Something wrong?" Aqua asked, concerned by the flower girl's sudden wilting. Stitch noticed too, cocking his head up at Aerith in concern, ears drooping slightly.

The young woman turned to Aqua, smiling brightly once again. "Oh, nothing," Aerith replied. She gave a quick glance at Terra suddenly. Or more specifically, the sword held in his hand, before turning and resuming towards the town, Stitch dashing after her, right on her heels. Confused, Aqua looked back at Terra but the earth warrior could only offer a shrug, just as confused as she was.

The male and female followed after the flower girl and alien, walking up the steps and then through the now open gates, stepping back onto the upper wall area still under construction. Above them the sky was beginning to darken, lights inside several homes on to offer illumination for the darkening streets. The reverse falls still twinkled, however, glowing almost pinkishly in the diminishing light.

After another short walk, they were back at Merlin's cottage.

"Ah, there you all are!" Greeted the old wizard, once again adjusting his spectacles as he approached the four, smiling kindly. "You missed quite a sight! The whole town was in awe at the return of the falls! I'm not sure what you all did at the castle but this is the happiest I've seen the people since we rediscovered the worlds' true name! You should have seen the looks on young Leon and Yuffie" Aerith smiled, eyes closed, hands behind her back. "Oh, I'm so happy to hear that!" She exclaimed.

Aqua smiled too, saying, "That's great." She glanced at Terra, offering him her smile, though he still looked uncomfortable and distracted.

Cid was once again back on his computer, typing away and only offering a short jerking wave with one hand while popping in a new toothpick with the other by way of greeting. Sparky was curled up in the corner (Right by an electrical outlet) on a little pet bed. The yellow alien looked at them once, yawned tiredly, then blinked his eyes a few times then closing them and curling up, little sparks flying off his antennas.

Terra chuckled, exhaustion in his voice. "I'll second that."

Aqua nodded too, her eyes drooping. It had been a long_, long_ day. And sleep sounded like heaven at the moment.

Stitch yawned as well, rubbing his barely opened eyes with one little clawed hand.

Seeing their evident exhaustion, Aerith smiled again and said, "Well, I guess I'll head home then. You all look like you could use some shut eye."

No arguing there fro many of them, and Aqua and Terra bid the departing Aerith, Merlin, Sparky and an uncaring Cid goodnight before heading to the second floor of the cottage and their rooms. And then it was just them in the upper hallway. Well, them and Stitch.

Terra was moving towards his bedroom door but slowed, noting the lack of the sound of scampering claws on wood behind him and turned, seeing much to his surprise that Stitch was following Aqua to her room and not his. "Not bunking with me tonight?" He called.

"W-what?" Aqua gasped, whirling to look at the brunette male with a flushed face, her hand shooting up to her chest almost protectively. Feeling himself flush when he realized Aqua completely misunderstood the meaning of his words, he waved his hands out in a panic, feeling his own face flush. "N-no no!" He said quickly to the blushing bluenette. "I was talking to Stitch! I swear!"

But the fur ball was in no helpful mood, as always. He only grinned slyly up at Terra, eyebrows wriggling as he let out an "Ooh," Terra glared at him, expression saying: _You are not helping at all!_

Aqua could feel her heart pounding against her chest, just right under her hand. Trying to calm herself, (Though confused by how easily flustered she was becoming as of late), she nodded before saying, "O-of course." Looking for an excuse to avoid Terra's gaze, she looked down on Stitch, smiling a little as she asked, "You wanna sleep in my room tonight?"

The normally hyperactive alien nodded eagerly, ears flopping as he grinned toothily. Smiling back, she nodded and said, "Well, I guess that's okay for tonight. I guess you don't want to sleep in Terra's room anymore, and I don't blame you. I used to have to pick up around his room and believe me that wasn't a fun experience."

"Hey!" Came Terra's indignant cry.

Both Aqua and Stitch had to stifle their laughter after seeing the look on Terra's face.

But the brunette found his annoyance fading fast, just from watching Aqua smile and the tension between them vanished instantly. The water maiden opened her room's door and in a split second Stitch had raced inside. Shaking her head but still smiling, she started to follow but stopped as Terra spoke up again.

"Aqua."

She paused, her hand clutching the side of the door as she hesitantly looked back at the male, her cheeks tinted a faint pink. Terra was smiling at her, the first real one she had seen since the balcony. He reached into a pocket of his cloak and held his hand up for her to see. She could just see the edges and a faint hint of orange from his Wayfinder.

Looking back at the male, his smile still there as he said, "I, uh just wanted to say…thank you. For earlier."

Feeling her cheeks heat up again, but smiling back nonetheless, thankfully not as bashful this time.

"Terra…of course," she replied, her voice as soft as a caress. She failed to notice the slight shudder that struck Terra, his eyes closing briefly.

"I'm always here for you," she went on, smiling at him once again, eyes closing.

Terra nodded, his own smile hesitant. "I know…and…I am too. For you."

Aqua moved past her door, pausing long enough to look back at Terra and say, "Goodnight. Sleep well, okay?"

Terra nodded before replying, "Goodnight, Aqua."

And then she closed her door, leaving Terra standing alone in the hallway.

The earth warrior sighed suddenly, his physical exhaustion suddenly joined with mental and emotional weariness. Glancing at his Wayfinder, he lowered his hand and moved towards his door, opening it and stepping inside his room, shutting his door quietly as he did. Moving towards his bed, he once again glanced at the charm, his thumb stroking the golden heart charm in its center.

Moving slowly, practically lethargic, Terra placed his sword against the dresser, slipped off his gloves and cloak, then kicked his boots off before collapsing onto bed, still holding the Wayfinder firmly in his hand. But even though he longed to close his eyes and drift into the oblivion of sleep, he once more found himself looking over the simple orange charm. And remembering words spoke long ago.

"_Somewhere out there, there's this tree with star-shaped fruit. And this fruit represents an unbreakable connection. So as long as you and your friends carry good luck charms shaped like it, nothing can ever drive you apart. You will always find your way back to each other. An unbreakable connection…"_

Terra studied the charm in the darkness.

An unbreakable connection…

Had that been what reunited them, on that strange shore in that terrible realm of darkness?

Or…

Something else? Something…more?

Sighing, his thoughts greatly confusing him (As that was all they seemed to do these days) Terra finally allowed his eyes to close and his mind to quiet.

But only a room away…

The blue haired maiden lay on her own bed, under the covers, her own fingers touching her blue charm, the tips of her fingers ghosting over the silver heart in its center…

As she wondered the same thing.

* * *

_His expression hidden in the shadows under his hood was one of amusement as he saw the outraged expression on the trios face, clear as day even from their low ground and his high vantage point. He watched as the boy in black raced back into the bailey just outside the castle grounds._

"_The Keyblade…a truly _marvelous _weapon…Were it only in more…"_

_He paused as he seemed to search for the words, his smirk morphing into a sneer._

"Capable hands."

_Around him, his 'companions' laughed loudly, mockingly. Purposefully._

_Below, the boy seethed._

"_Shows yourselves!" He shouted._

_Never one to deny such a request, he willed the shadows to take him closer and he reappeared in a burst of dark miasma, just above the boy as he peered down on him from a wall top. Raising his arms, he silently beckoned his companions. Below, the 'chosen one's' outrage morphed into awe just as his own compatriots scrambled to his side._

_Around him, the shadows rose and burst, heralding his allies arrival as they all stood just behind him on both sides, hoods raised like his own to hide their identities…for the time being._

"_Organization XIII!" Bellowed the dog creature holding the shield. The three were an odd group. A boy, a dog, and a duck. The three shared a quick look, a nod, and then the boy looked back at up at him and his darkly clad allies, raised fist clenched, his lowered hand that grasped the legendary weapon he wielded so…callously, no tight tightening as he prepared for what he believed to be a grand battle._

"_Good, now we can settle this!" He declared, tone challenging._

_He shook his head in what was supposed to be regret._

"_What a shame," he mused, raising his arm before lowering it._

"_And here I thought we could be friends."_

_He didn't bother to join in with the second round of laughter and instead willed the shadows to take them back into their embrace._

_There would be no grand battle today._

_The boy still had a job to do, even if he was too stupid to understand it._

_And besides…_

_He would not face one who wielded that weapon with such lack of skill…_

_His ignorance mocking his memories of the ones who had wielded it before him._

_The only ones who deserved to wield it._

_His true…_

_Friends…_

_Not these chortling fools he surrounded himself with…_

* * *

Tired cobalt eyes blinked open, blinded by darkness.

A groan slipped past his lips, a hand running through his long locks as he sat up a little bit, supported on his right elbow. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, Terra sat up on the bed, arms resting on his knees as he allowed himself to regain more awareness.

And let his thoughts drift, inevitably returning to the echoes of his dream.

_And here I thought we could be friends…_

Growling in frustration, he stood up completely, striding practically as he snatched up his cloak and gloves, then slipped on his boots and grabbed his sword. Quietly, still mindful it was early (Or late, he really couldn't tell. Or care.) Terra slipped his door open and closed it silently, stepping out into the hall and quietly made his way past Aqua's door and to the podium that would take him to the first floor of Merlin's cottage. As he floated slowly down into the living area, he was suddenly greeted by some light and the sound of typing.

"What are you doin' up so early, kid?" Cid greeted, peering at Terra through the narrowed corner of his eye. Terra stepped off the podium as soon as it was close enough to the floor and headed for the door.

"Did you ever go to sleep, elder?" Terra shot back.

That made Cid cock a brow, whistling a little.

"Somethin' tells me you ain't a mornin' person," the former pilot drawled. He swiveled around in his chair, flicking his toothpick as he got a better look at Terra's retreating form. Upon spotting the sword held reversed in his hand, Cid spoke up again.

"Seriously kid, where you headin' off too?" Cid asked.

Terra sighed, head tilting in aggravation as he slowed his walking and looked back at Cid over his shoulder, cobalt eyes laced with impatience and frustration.

"To train," Terra replied, trying to keep his tone even and respectful. Cid's brow rose a little higher. "This early?" He asked, honestly surprised. Cid didn't know anyone aside from himself who got up this early just to start the day. Leon would always practice in the afternoons or as of late whenever he had any real free time, so it was kinda random intervals to be honest.

As for Yuffie, she was so convinced of her skill she claimed not to need any and just honed her talents on the Heartless. Or those pixies.

And then there was Cloud and Tifa…

Cid wasn't even going to pretend he knew what those two did in their free time. Well, he guessed Tifa spent hers looking for Cloud. And seeing how she never found him, Cloud must have spent his avoiding her.

Terra turned completely towards Cid before responding, "Of course. I thought this would be the best time to slip out without anyone noticing or scrutinizing me with questions." His eyes narrowed a little at Cid. "Guess not," He mumbled that to himself, though Cid still heard it.

Scowling, Cid angrily flicked his toothpick again. "Jeez kid," He snarked. "If you're like this every mornin' I just might take back my offer to help you if ya ever need it." Terra flinched, mentally hitting himself. He hadn't meant to take his bad mood on Cid, but surprise surprise, things didn't work out like he planned.

The ex-pilot swiveled back around in his chair, once more facing his computer, once again typing away before speaking up. "There's some spots just outside the bailey. Well within in Claymore's range if the Heartless get too antsy. Try there," Cid offered, tone still gruff and distant.

Feeling even worse now because of Cid's sudden advice, Terra rubbed the back of his head, fingers brushing through his spiky locks as he nodded, slowly moving towards the door. "Thanks," he muttered, hand slipping around the knob of the door.

Cid grunted, not even bothering to look back. "Whatever. Just don't come back with the attitude."

Sighing, Terra pulled the door open and stepped outside, closing it behind him a moment later. He stood outside the cottage, slowly stepping away from the cottage, taking in the little village. It was still the same looking, save for all the shadows now present in the pre-morning darkness.

Terra looked around for a moment, taking a few steps as he did, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness. He carefully made his way towards the stairs that led to the bailey. Deciding to take Cid's advice, he wanted to find a spot outside of the town and start training again. As he climbed up the steps, his mind wandered towards the events in the castle yesterday.

He had been too careless. Just because he had a sword and some magic again did not mean he had recovered hi full strength yet. He needed to resume his training. Then maybe he wouldn't be made a fool of again by a bunch of mindless creatures of darkness and Stitch wouldn't get hurt again…

His grip on his sword tightened once again.

And…

Maybe he could learn what had triggered that dark power he had used to destroy the Heartless-

The brunette viciously shook his head.

No, no more tapping into dark powers.

He already knew the consequences to that…

"Years of my life lost to a madman…" The earth warrior muttered miserably under his breath as he moved past the open gate and into the bailey.

As he crossed the guard post built into the wall, he found his walking slowed as he arrived into the open area of the bailey. He came to a complete stop one he was standing at the top of the steps, and tilting his head back to look up at the upper part of a wall.

Echoes of his dream flashed through his mind.

Suddenly, Terra stumbled, a spike of pain tearing through his head causing him to nearly fall to his knees. His vision suddenly blurry, Terra shook his head, briefly glancing back up at the wall-

His eyes widened and he stood straight back up.

But then he blinked, and narrowed his gaze, jaw grit.

For the briefest of moments…

He thought he had seen someone standing atop that wall…

Just like in his dream.

Shaking it off and just chalking it up as he was still tired and the lack of light was not helping, Terra quickly made his ways down the steps and towards a hastily made gate that no doubt led outside the safety the village offered. Within moments, he was following a familiar path he traveled only two days before with Stitch when they had been chasing Sparky. But, back in the bailey, high on the wall he had dreamed of…

A figure cloaked in black and darkness watched, smirking seemingly to a joke only he understood, hidden in shadows.

* * *

Light filtered gently through the light curtains over the window, the soft streams landing on a head of blue locks and causing them to brighten considerably, warming the flesh just peeking over from the curled figure under them.

Sapphire eyes blinked open gently as the light continued to brighten the room. Aqua closed her eyes, face scrunching up for a moment before she sat up, arms stretching as she yawned for several seconds, then she gently wiped at the corner of her droopy eyes, pushing the covers aside as she sat up completely on the bed. She blinked suddenly when she heard a faint snoring. Looking back at the end of her bed, her confusion turned into amusement when she caught sight of Stitch sleeping, all curled up in a ball, ears over his eyes to no doubt block the sudden light.

Reaching over, she gently scratched the area just behind one of his ears, and she smiled as the little alien let out a contented purr in his sleep, but did not truly stir. Deciding to let the blue fur ball sleep in a little longer, Aqua got out of the bed, stretching again as she did, sighing when she heard several pops from various joints. She slipped on her metal boots, gloves and bell sleeves after cleaning herself up a bit, but decided to leave the shoulder armor on her dresser.

Since she could no longer call her Keyblade Armor, there really wasn't any point in her wearing it anymore.

Leaving her room, softly closing her door as to not disturb Stitch, Aqua glanced towards the door just a few feet away from her own. Terra's room. For a second she considered walking over to it, but decided against it. She would let Terra rest in too. After yesterday, she knew he greatly needed it.

Moving down the hall, she stepped onto the podium, wondering if Merlin or anyone was awake and down below. As soon as the podium floated down a few feet, she was greeted by the sound of clacking keys at a rapid pace and plates shifting.

"Good morning!" Aerith greeted cheerfully, her smile seemingly brighter than ever, dressed in a pink dress with her brown haired tied in ponytail wrapped in a red bow. Cid just grunted from his spot in front of his monitor, continuing to type away while Aerith spread a few plats on a table in the corner before moving towards a stove. Several pleasing aromas wafted in the air and Aqua hoped her stomach wasn't growling audibly.

"Morning," Aqua responded softly, moving slowly towards the table and Aerith. The flower girl was beginning to place several breakfast foods on more plates, ranging from eggs, bacon, toast and a few other items. "Did you sleep well?" She asked, looking back at Aqua, emerald gaze friendly as always.

The water maiden nodded, looking at the table.

"Please, sit!" Aerith invited.

Aqua did, moving slowly. Aerith wagged a spoon at her. "No need to be so nervous! You've been here three days, I was hoping you'd start to feel like part of our family."

Aqua smiled, brushing a few azure locks away from her face before she replied, "I'm sorry. I'm still a little unused to all this."

Aerith thought for a moment before just shrugging and saying, "Well, I hope we'll continue to get along and you'll be more comfortable here." She placed a plate in front of Aqua and started to grab a second before stopping, glancing up at the ceiling.

Looking back at Aqua, Aerith asked, "Are Terra and Stitch still asleep?"

Aqua was about to respond when a gruff voice interjected.

"Oh, yeah," Cid said suddenly before turning to glance at the two women. "I forgot to tell ya Aerith, the new kid left earlier, just before dawn. Said somethin' bout trainin'."

Aqua felt her whole body snap rigid.

"What?" She breathed. He had left? _Again?_

But of course, he would do this all the time back when they lived in the Land of Departure. Getting up at the crack of dawn and train himself to exhaustion, all before lunch. She remembered once the Master had forbade him from his routine so he could rest, but several times Terra had simply snuck out earlier and returned before breakfast, though he had been caught sleeping in several times as a result.

Cid nodded, failing to notice Aqua's expression and Aerith's concerned look as he turned back to his computer.

"Did he say when he would be back?" Aqua asked, though she felt she already knew the answer.

Cid shook his head and resumed typing away.

Aqua rubbed her forehead. Oh, that Terra could really grate on her nerves…

Maybe instead of telling him she would help him recover from his emotional torment yesterday, she should have stressed the fact he had just recovered from _broken ribs_ and needed to start taking it a bit easier! "Stubborn man," she mumbled to herself, idly stirring her food with a fork.

"Aren't they all?" Aerith asked, her smile now teasing. Despite her declined mood, Aqua found herself retuning the smile and nodding in agreement. Cid warily glanced at them out o the corner of his eye, though he quickly shook his head and returned to his computer.

The two women returned to their breakfast, conversing lightly, and Aqua found her mood improving shortly.

Besides, she thought. If Terra wanted to train that was fine. She would just give him a stern word when he returned.

And a Keyblade upside his head.

* * *

"So are you always here this early?" Aqua asked as she helped Aerith take the now empty plates to a sink and clean them alongside her. The flower girl tipped her head in thought for a moment before replying, "Hmm, well, it really depends."

She placed the clean plates in a small rack on Merlin's sink (Which was funny, considering Aqua didn't remember the sink being there before…) before elaborating further. "Sometimes I'm here before Leon, though I'm always here before Yuffie but never before Cid…but I think this is the first time I'm up before Merlin," She explained.

Cid grunted from his spot again.

"That old coot left around dawn just after the new kid. Said he was goin' to visit his 'wart' or somethin'. He said he'd probably be gone most of the day." Both Aqua and Aerith blinked, confused, but Cid looked happy, his toothpick upraised slightly.

"Well," Aerith said after a moment. "I guess that answers that." Aqua nodded, not really knowing what to say. Aerith meanwhile set aside a few plates with food on them.

"Cid," she called to the pilot, who didn't bother to grunt in acknowledgment this time. "I left a plate for you if you're hungry." Cid shook his head. "Much as I appreciate that Aerith, I'll just some coffee." The ex-pilot suddenly rubbed his eyes, toothpick drooping.

"Been starin' at this dang screen all night…" He mumbled, his gruffness finally fading to reveal what sounded like exhaustion.

Aerith smiled and replied, "No problem. But first…" She glanced up at the rafters while saying, "Are you going to come down? I'm sure you're hungry."

Aqua stared at her, befuddled. "Who are you-" The water maiden started, but stopped upon hearing a familiar sound, like nails on wood and a soft growling voice. Following Aerith's gaze, she was unsurprised to spot a blue ball of fluff peeking at the two women from around a rafter.

Stitch seemed unusually skittish, his big head jerking, black eyes darting from one spot in the cabin to the next, all the while he chattered in his native tongue, his accented voice sounding perilously close to worry and panic. Aerith looked lost as to the alien's behavior but Aqua caught a familiar name in his worried chittering. Sighing, she called to Stitch, "Terra's not here, Stitch. He left earlier this morning."

Instantly, the blue furball's ears drooped, his head dropping too, growling lowly and sadly before he flopped down on the rafter, one clawed limb hanging over the side.

Aerith bit her lip watching Stitch in concern. "I've never seen him like this," she said, emerald eyes glancing towards Aqua. "He really seems to like Terra."

Aqua didn't respond. Her thoughts were drifting, returning back to that giant ship where she had first met Stitch. She remembered seeing him all over the place, calling Terra's name as he searched from room to room for the seemingly lost earth warrior.

"He leaves an impression," Aqua murmured, more to herself than reply to Aerith.

Returning her attention to the depressed alien, Aqua called, "Stitch, it's alright. Terra just left to get some training done." Stitch's ear's rose right up. Aqua continued, "He'll be back later today, ok?"

Almost instantly Stitch's mood improved. With an excited cackle he leapt off the rafter and into Aqua's arms, grinning widely. Despite herself, Aqua smiled back, ruffling the furball's ears to his obvious pleasure. Smiling at the two, happy Stitch was no longer dejected, Aerith said to the alien again, "Now, how about that breakfast?"

At the mention of food, Stitch turned his head towards the plates Aerith had left out. Eyes widening as he exclaimed in excitement, Stitch jumped out of Aqua's arms and onto the counter, promptly grabbing the plates and devouring them (And the food on them) whole. Aqua's face paled, her eyes widening as she watched while Aerith gasped and exclaimed, "Stitch!"

The effect was instant. Stitch froze, cringing before slowly turning towards Aerith, nervously smiling, clawed hands nervously wringing each other. Aerith had her arms crossed, brow raised, and was tapping her foot. "What have I said about eating the dishes?" The flower girl asked, tone motherly, as she was chiding a child for bad manners, which she might has well been.

Stitch growled sadly before reaching inside his own mouth and produced said dishes, intact and covered in slobber.

Aqua's pale features turned an interesting shade of green.

Aerith sighed, gingerly holding one of the plates and eyeing it wearily. "Oh, I just washed these," she lamented, before sighing and placing them in the sink. She noticed Aqua's sudden shade of skin tone and asked, "Oh? Aqua? Are you okay?"

The water maiden nodded slowly, mentally casting Esuna to ease her queasy stomach, hoping to keep its contents down.

Stitch seemed none the wiser, and was now sniffing the air. He looked back at the women and asked, "Cousin?"

That shook Aqua out of her stupor. For the first time, she noticed the yellow alien was not present in the cabin. Looking around, she asked, "Where is Sparky?"

As if responding to the sound of his name, an electrical outlet in the corner crackled and exploded in a shower of blue sparks, making Aqua jump and yelp, while from those crackling bolts emerged the cackling Stitch doppelganger, blue eyes narrowed as he grinned hugely. Completely unaffected, Aerith waved and greeted cheerfully, "Good morning, Sparky! Now, where have you been off too this morning? I hope you weren't making more appliances explode."

Cid swiveled around in his chair, grinning at the sight of the floating alien as it moved towards him. "Ah, he was just draining some excess juice from the castle generator," Cid explained as he watched Sparky. Aerith tapped her chin thoughtfully. 'Oh," she said. "So then I guess Sparky doesn't eat regular food then does he?"

Cid shook his head. "Nope. This little guy prefers his food to be as sparklin' and cracklin' as he is." Swiveling back around in his chair, Cid returned his attention back to his computer while Sparky watched curiously. Cid shooed him away when the monitor began to flicker however.

"Now, what did I say buddy? Can't have you too close, remember?" The pilot said, and the alien floated away, looking dejected. He cheered up when he spotted Stitch, floating over and chattering in his buzzing voice. Stitch eagerly responded, both aliens conversing in their native language.

Aqua watched, crossing her arms as the two chatted before Stitch suddenly leap at Sparky, who vanished into a bolt of lightning, reappearing cross the room. Cackling, Stitch chased after, the two apparently playing tag in the rafters above. Shaking her head, Aqua looked back at Aerith, who was gathering a weave basket and a wallet, slipping it into the basket.

Meeting the water maiden's gaze she said, "Aqua, I was going to the market to pick up a few things Merlin wanted. Do you want to come along?"

Aqua thought for a second before nodding. "Yes, that's sound nice. Better than being cooped up in here all day," She said with a smile. Aerith giggled before calling to Cid, "Cid, do you need anything?"

The ex-pilot grunted and shook his head. "Nah. Got everythin' I need right here darlin'. Though you can take those two off my hands." He jerked a thumb towards Stitch and Sparky just as the two came tumbling down from the rafters, wrapped up in a tackle as they bit and spit at each other.

Sighing, Aerith clapped her hands, exclaiming, "Hey!"

Instantly, the fighting aliens froze, big eyes turning towards the apparently irate flower girl.

"Break it up you two, and come on. We're going to the market, and if you behave, I might get you some treats." Aerith said, her tone now sweet and motherly.

Aqua found herself at a loss, the flower girl's antics almost as baffling as Stitch's.

At the prospect of treats, both Stitch and Sparky grinned and inhaled excitedly, the blue furball dashing over to circle around Aerith's legs as he panted, "Yea, Yea!" while Sparky floated above in a similar manner.

Aqua shook her head, stifling another laugh at the aliens antics before saying to Aerith, "You certainly have a way with them."

Aerith giggled, the two women stepping outside, the aliens following, Stitch on their heels, Sparky above their heads. "You just have to know how to talk to them," Aerith explained. That had both of them laughing, causing the aliens to glance at them in confusion.

The little group continued towards the market place, all smiles, their moods light and happy…

While above, hidden in the shadows, a cloaked figure grinned to himself.

"How cute…"

* * *

"Ah," Cid sighed happily, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms behind his head. "Finally, got the place all ta myself." He smiled, flicking his used pick aside into a wastebasket as he reached into his pocket for a new one. Sitting back up he resumed typing on the computer, sighing again as he murmured happily, "Just me, my computer, and some peace and quiet."

A split-second later a puff of smoke burst behind as Yuffie did a leap and roll in midair, landing wit ha slide and quick bow before she exclaimed, "Ta-da!"

Cid's good mood vanished instantly.

"I just had to say somethin'…" He muttered bitterly, toothpick drooping as his eyes narrowed in anger.

"Gooooood morning, Cid!" Yuffie practically screeched as she sauntered over to the very irate pilot.

"It was," he mumbled, continuing to type away, almost pounding the keys now.

Yuffie noticed this, but failing to discern the cause of it, asked, "Yeesh, what's got you so grouchy? Or should I say, grouchier?"

"Oh, y'know," Cid replied almost casually. "Just this really annoying buzzing thing right by my ear that never seems to know when to go away when it's not wanted."

Yuffie nodded in seeming agreement. Yuffie, "Yeah, I hate that new alien too. It's sooo creepy and it's voice gets on my nerves."

Cid almost pounded his head into the keyboard.

Just then, the cabin door swung open and the leather clad figure of Leon walked in, gunblade sheathed at his side while his multiple belts clinked a little bit as he walked. "How's Claymore holding up Cid?" Leon asked by way of greeting.

"And good morning you too, sunshine," Cid replied sarcastically.

Yuffie huffed, hands on her hips as she glared at Cid. "I don't get it! I poof in to brighten your morning but Squall gets the greeting?"

"Unlike you," snapped the pilot, "I actually can stand to have him around me. He's useful and can hold up a conversation while you just go on and on about… well, stuff I just can't remember to even care about."

Yuffie threw her hands up, huffing even louder than before. "Ugh! You are such a jerk, Cid!"

Leon, who had arrived by the two seconds ago, was looking around the room before asking, "Where's Aerith?"

This prompted Yuffie to look around as well. "Huh," she said, "She's usually here before us and has some breakfast ready. I could go for some eggs right now."

"Tch," Cid scoffed. "Well you're too late for that. Stitch ate the food Aerith left for y'all…and the plates."

Yuffie groaned. "Ugh, I hate that little blue-"

"Cid," Leon interjected again, in no mood for either the ninja girl or the ex-pilot's antics. "Where's. Aerith?" Stressing both words out, as if speaking to a child.

Cid cast Leon a sideways glare before replying, "Well, like I was about ta say, she went off to the market with Aqua and the aliens ta get some stuff for Merlin while he's off world."

Leon raised a brow. "Aqua's with her?" He asked, though there was no normal accusation in his voice normally associated with Aqua and Terra. Terra more so than Aqua.

Cid nodded. "Yep. Been gone an hour or so. Was kinda nice, too." He said that last part quietly and bitterly.

Leon rubbed his chin for a moment, his brow furrowed thoughtfully before he said, "Yuffie."

"Yo." Was the prompt response from said ninja.

"Why don't you go join them?" Leon suggested.

At that Yuffie raised a suspicious brow. "Why? Want me to watch Blue or something? Make sure she doesn't do anything?"

Surprisingly, Leon shook his head. "No," he replied softly, "I just think you could use some time off. Head to the market, treat yourself to some ice cream or something."

Now Yuffie's eyes were really wide and even Cid was giving Leon a funny look.

"What's with you?" Yuffie asked. "I haven't seen you act like this since you read that weird letter." Then she paused, thinking it over for a moment before grinning widely.

"But I'm not one to waste an opportunity!" With that she back flipped and vanished in another puff of smoke, her farewell echoing behind her.

"Later guys!"

Cid breathed a sigh of relief before giving Leon another glare. "Couldn't have said somethin' sooner?"

"She left didn't she?" Leon shot back, stepping next to Cid's side as he looked over the computer screen. Then, he asked, "Where's Terra?"

Cid scoffed again. "I was wonderin' when you'd ask that. He left this mornin' to get some trainin' done. No clue when he'll be back, so don't even ask."

When he caught the look Leon was giving him, Cid returned in kind with a scowling glare as he snapped, "Hey, I ain't his got-dang keeper, ok? What have you got against him anyway?"

Leon crossed his arms, closing his icy blue eyes for a moment. Then, he started to say, "There was something he did that first day…"

Cid scoffed again. "When you all attacked him? It's called 'defending yourself'."

Leon growled. "Whatever."

Cid snorted. "Yeah, yeah."

Then he returned his attention to the monitor. "Hey," the former pilot said suddenly. "Thought you might find this interesting. Claymore's been picking up some weird readings."

Leon uncrossed his arms, taking a closer look at the monitor.

"Heartless?" He asked, voice tight.

Cid shook his head.

"Nah, nothin' like that. It's just…weird. Claymore usually locks onto anything registering as a Heartless and then blows it up. But with this thing…it's weird. One second it's in one spot…next second it's just…gone. Sometimes it might shows up somewhere else. And what's weirder is Claymore doesn't even know if it IS a Heartless."

He turned to Leon, shrugging.

The gunblade slinger rubbed his chin in thought for a few moments, considering the ex-pilot's words. Then he looked at him and said, "We'll keep it in mind, and if it turns up again let me know. Right now I'm more focused on that diagnostic you were running all night. Is Claymore running smoothly or are there problems?"

Cid shook his head. "Nah, I think we're good for now. Here, lemme show you the readouts…"

* * *

The town market was an interesting place Aqua discovered.

Though she had only visited it once before (And under an extremely stressful situation.) she hadn't had a real chance to look through the shops and the wears they offered. Turns out there were only a few open shops at the moment, and while Aerith was conversing with a Moogle over the items Merlin requested, Aqua wondered over towards the accessories shop, taking note of several armlets, rings and earrings made of various materials. Some were eyesores while others more pleasing to look at.

"See anything you like?"

Aqua blinked, before realizing the shopkeeper had asked the question. The man was smiling pleasantly at Aqua. The water maiden shook her head before smiling back politely and saying, "No, I'm not really into these kinds of things." That and she had no munny but she wouldn't say anything about that.

Moving away from the shop, Aqua glanced into the little square below the raised area all the shops were on and she spotted Stitch and Sparky playing by a small waterfall fountain running down a wall. Stitch was trying to splash the electrical experiment, much to the yellow alien's displeasure as he kept dodging Stitch's attempts.

Smiling, shaking her head at their antics, Aqua glanced around the corner of her eyes and saw Aerith walking over. "Did you get everything you needed?" She asked the flower girl.

Aerith nodded, replying, "Yes, I had to haggle a little bit on the prices for some of the things Merlin needed, but he's a good Moogle and was fairer than some I've met."

Aqua decided to take Aerith's word on that.

The brunette woman glanced towards the square and spotted Stitch and Sparky playing. Looking back at Aqua, she asked, "So, who wants to go get them?"

Aqua chuckled, noting for once the lack of enthusiasm in Aerith's voice.

Before Aqua could say anything, a new voice interrupted.

"Not it!"

This was followed by a puff of smoke that dispersed quickly to reveal Yuffie doing a one handed handstand on the raised rail wall on the sides of the shopping square, the younger girl grinning widely at the two older women.

"Yuffie!" Aerith greeted as she smiled, happy to see the ninja girl.

"Hello," was all Aqua said.

Yuffie frowned at the bluenette before flipping upright on her feet. "Ugh, don't sound to excited there, Blue. Sheesh, you'd get along great with Cid and Leon…" She mumbled that last bit more to herself.

"So, what brings you to the market place this morning," Aerith interjected gently. "Are you on patrol right now?"

Yuffie shook her head. "Nah, Cid told me and Leon you were both here and then Leon told me to come and join you guys. Who am I to argue with orders?" She asked with a big grin.

Aerith giggled and Aqua even cracked a smile.

"And besides," Yuffie went on, her voice even more excited than normal.

"This is the perfect opportunity for some ice-cream!" She threw her arms up excitedly at the last part. While Aqua was raising a brow, Aerith clapped her hands before exclaiming in equal excitement, "Oh my! I almost forgot! This would be a good chance to get some ice-cream!"

Aqua was still confused. "Ice-cream? This early?" She asked.

"Oh, come on Blue!" Yuffie whined, jumping off the rail and standing next to the two women. "It's never too early for ice-cream!"

Aerith nodded. "Agreed." Then she looked back towards the square and called, "Stitch! Sparky! Do you two still want that treat?"

An instant later the two aliens were hopping excitedly by Aerith, chattering happily in their alien language.

Aerith giggled before looking back at Aqua and saying, "Well, I guess that's settled!" And then she started to walk back towards the Moogle, Stitch and Sparky quickly following after with Yuffie too. Sighing, and shrugging once as if to ask 'Why not?' Aqua started after them as well.

She hadn't had ice-cream in years and hoped there were some decent flavors. As she caught up the group, now standing by a small window shop surrounded by…huge chunks of ice. Before aqua could contemplate the meaning behind the ice, another voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Ach, if it isn't ma favorit lassie Aerith! And hello to you Yuffie."

The ninja girl scoffed, crossing her arms indignantly. "What is this? Everyone rag on Yuffie day?" Stitch and Sparky cackled quietly, though stopped once Yuffie cast them a glare and revealed a shuriken between her fingers.

Aqua however blinked, unnoticing the three. Something about that voice…

"Well, what can I do ya for, Aerith?" The voice went on.

Aerith held up her hand, all fingers raised. "Five sea-salt ice-creams please, Mr. Scrooge."

"Ooh, hope you're not planin' on eatin' all that ice-cream by yerself now," 'Mr. Scrooge' teased, causing Aerith to giggle, before pausing for a moment. And then he spoke again, "Here yea are! Don't eat them all too fast or yea might get a bad case of the brain freeze. Ach, I hate that…"

Yuffie nodded in full agreement before squealing happily as she snatched up her blue ice-cream bar when Aerith presented it to her.

The flower girl bent over to hand two more to Stitch and Sparky. Stitch laughed happily, "Hah hah!" as he held his bar in triumph but before he devoured it, he noticed Sparky eying his nervously, looking it over with his big blue eyes. "Ig!" Stitch said, getting his cousin's attention. In demonstration, he took a lick from his own bar before nodding at Saprky and saying, "Ig!" once again, encouragingly.

Sparky looked over his bar again before following Stitch's example and licking it.

Instantly, the yellow alien let out an extremely loud squeal of delight, rising in the air in a spiral of sparks.

Aerith giggled as she watched Sparky come down, enthusiastically licking his ice-cream now alongside Stitch and Yuffie. "I guess he likes it," She said with a smile.

Aqua nodded, also smiling before she blinked as Aerith presented her a bar as well. Oh," Aqua said.

"Here," Aerith said cheerfully.

Hesitantly, Aqua accepted it and the flower girl went on, "It's really good, and if Sparky likes it you should too!"

Aqua giggled, nodding as she said, "Ok, I guess so."

"Oh?" The voice from behind the ice-cream window said.

A second later, an anthromorphic duck dressed in a blue dress shirt with red on the collar and sleeves and top hat, specs resting on his beak and a cane in his right hand stepped out, glancing in Aqua's direction. Upon spotting the bluenette, he exclaimed happily, "Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle!...and if you know my nephews I practically am…if it isn't that well-mannered lass I met all those years ago! I say lassie, you look just as good as you did back then! Want to share with an old duck yer secret?"

At first Aqua was too lost for words to respond at all, still holding the ice-cream bar while the duck smiled up at her and everyone else watched curiously. Then, after getting a good luck at the duck, she suddenly remembered.

"Oh, it's you!" Aqua said, her expression brightening. "You were the kind old man who pointed me in the right direction when I came here the first time!"

Scrooge sighed sadly, shoulders drooping. "Ach, I was hopin' you'd say I hadn't aged a day like you hadn't." Then he shrugged, smiling once again. "But, oh well! Tell me, lasise, did you find yer little friend? Is he here now? Would he like some ice-cream? I bet he would!"

Aqua giggled, shaking her head. "I did, and he is, but I don't think Terra would like any. He's never been a fan of sweets."

The old duck blinked, brow furrowing, beak frowning.

"'Terra'? Ach, lassie, my apologies, I'm afraid I gave you no useful advice those years ago."

Aqua blinked.

"W-what?" She asked.

The duck nodded before going on. "Yes, I thought you had been searching for a young laddie named Ventus. I gave him those Disney Town passes after he helped me get out a spot o' trouble with some nasty little critters."

At the mention of the name, Aqua froze.

Aerith saw this and she instantly became concerned as Aqua let her arm holding the ice-cream bar droop. "Aqua?" She asked.

Yuffie noticed too, cocking a brow and asking, "Hey, Blue! You ok?"

Stitch and Sparky were watching, whining lowly in concern for Aqua's sudden sad disposition.

Scrooge stepped closer, while saying, "Lassie? I'm sorry, did I say something to upset you?"

Aqua shook her head slowly. "No," she responded quietly. "I just…um, I think I just need to go back to the cottage." She handed the ice-cream back to Aerith, who looked completely flabbergasted as Aqua walked past her and the duck, moving quickly past Yuffie and the aliens.

Aerith blinked, then called, "Wait, Aqua!" But the water maiden was already moving down the steps.

Yuffie sighed loudly. "Ugh, I guess we got another candidate for the 'broody loners' club." Upon seeing the glare Aerith was giving her, Yuffie shrugged and exclaimed defensively, "What?"

Stitch was wringing his claws in worry, whining lowly and looking up at Aerith, big eyes narrow with concern.

Scrooge looked up at Aerith, expression apologetic. "Ach, I'm terribly sorry Aerith. It seems I've put a damper on yer happy mornin'."

Aerith didn't respond at first, just stared at the spot Aqua had vanished around.

"It's…it's alright…I think…I think she just needs to be alone for a bit."

Back with Aqua, the water maiden had slowly made her way back to the alleyways of the village, slowly making her way back towards the cottage. Her thoughts were in turmoil. All she could think of was Ven.

Ven.

Little, sweet Ventus, forever sleeping in that chamber in that big, empty castle she had left him in. For the gods know how many years.

Aqua rubbed her hand over her face, taking in a shuddering breath. Oh what a terrible friend she had been. For three days she had been so concerned about Terra not once had she thought of Ven or his plight. Someone might argue she had been too focused on Terra and his own pain at the moment but Ven was still her friend and it was inexcusable that she hadn't thought of him.

She lowered her hand, at a loss.

What could she do? She had no means to get of world or even knew if their home was still there. Ven could have been lost to the darkness or some other calamity years ago…

She had failed him, just as she had failed Terra.

_Oh, Master,_ she thought miserably as she continued on.

_I think you made a mistake deeming me worthy of the Mark of Mastery…_

Sighing, she continued on for the cottage-

She froze suddenly, spinning around and looking wildly in all directions.

Nothing greeted her, just homes and more homes.

Blinking, Aqua murmured, "What was that? It felt like…"

Her tension easing, but not fading, she turned and resumed walking, muttering lastly to herself, "Someone was watching me."

Up above, hidden in the shadows of rooftops, the cloaked figure grinned to himself still.

* * *

Hurr-RAH!"

With that battle cry, Terra completed the final slash in the sequence, landing with his body tensed and blade pulled back. Panting heavily, he relaxed, standing upright and wiping his sweaty bangs out of his eyes with the back of his gloved hand, grumbling angrily as he did. This extra hair was proving to be a hindrance.

His cloak was lying folded up on some rocks not too far away as he had taken it off once he started training.

Glancing up at the sky, Terra scowled when he noticed the position of the sun. "Darn it," he murmured to himself. He had lost track of time by a lot, too wrapped up by what he had told himself would have been a simple task of remembering the first sequence in his favorite technique, Ars Solum.

Though his body was still in shape, it did not respond well to using a weapon as simple as a sword much to his frustration, and he had more muscle to account for as well, slowing him down even further and making his movements cumbersome. It was aggravating to no end and he cursed at himself even more for being so useless. Walking back over to his cloak, he placed his sword against a rock and picked up one of the potions he had saved from yesterday and quickly chugged the contents down.

Instantly a good chunk of his stamina was restored, and he was no longer sweating as hard.

Wiping more sweat away, he mentally concluded that as soon he got back into a training regime he would eventually completely get used to the changes his body had gone through and he would never again be so easily knocked down by one of those Heartless again. Looking around, Terra remembered his disappointment that none of the abominations had actually shown up. He was pretty far outside of the village, deep into the open areas beyond the cave where he and Stitch had fought Sparky. He had been hoping to use them in his training.

He had always trained better with someone else, having grown up alongside Aqua under their Master's eye, and when Ven had come along it had been even better. With Aqua it had been technique and magic, with Ven it had been trying to nail the little speedster, teaching him patience and long range tactics. Terra's shoulders slumped a little as he thought of his friends.

Forcing his thoughts back to his earlier focuses, he decided to return tomorrow morning to try another technique and a few exercises. Once he was more comfortable, he'd move on to the harder stuff. Grabbing his cloak and slipping it on, Terra picked up his sword and started back towards the path that had led him here, heading for town-

Something dark caught the corner of his eye.

Frowning, the earth warrior turned, looking towards the big open area or 'maw' as it looked like, searching for whatever had darted at the corner of his eye-

And he saw a familiar dark figure standing in the maw, the outline of his huge sword more easy to make out than the wielder itself.

"No way," Terra breathed before an excited grin appeared on his face.

Moving quickly, making his way down the sloping stony walls of the maw, Terra moved quickly towards the figure.

He had found just what he had been hoping for.

A sparring partner.

* * *

Peace.

Silence.

Eyes closed, Cloud could feel the wind brushing through his spiky blonde locks, his hand resting on his bandaged blade, impaled in front of him, Cloud took in the silence and peace eagerly, hoping to calm his thoughts. All too familiar doubts had been plaguing him as of late, a voice on the edge of his consciousness tormenting his dreams. His grip tightened subconsciously as he thought of _him_.

Behind him, the wind picked up just a bit more fiercely-

Carrying with it a single black feather and the faintest whisper of a chuckle-

Cloud's electric blue eyes snapped open as he ripped his blade free, grasped the hilt with both hands and whirled around in a mighty slash that tore the feather in two-

And nearly the same to Terra if the earthen fighter hadn't brought his own sword up to deflect Cloud's strike in the nick of time. The earth warrior slid back several feet from the force of Cloud's attack.

Cloud blinked once he realized who it was he had nearly cut in half, his sword lowering a bit (But not entirely) as he watched Terra right himself and exclaim, "Jeez! You greet everyone that way or am I special?"

Cloud lowered his sword completely before replying, his voice as monotone as ever, "It wasn't meant for you."

Terra raised a brow. "Okaaaay," he muttered to himself, deciding to let it drop and ask, "Why are you out here by yourself?"

Cloud eyed Terra warily before turning, reversing his sword and jamming it back in the ground as he did, returning to his earlier pose before Terra appeared and interrupted.

"I could ask you the same," Cloud replied, tone bored and detached.

Terra chuckled once, balancing his sword across his shoulders as he responded, "I was training a few yards from here."

That seemed to catch Cloud's interest. The darkly clad swordsman glanced at Terra from over his shoulder, smirking a little.

"Really?" He asked, turning a little more, grip on his own sword subtly tightening. "Putting that sword to some use then."

Terra nodded, his lips turning in a smirk of his own. Swinging said 'gift' out, Terra spoke again, "I was hoping I could get a moment of your time. What do you say? How about a quick spar?"

Cloud looked at Terra for another moment, then turned, his back completely to Terra again.

"Not interested."

Terra blinked. "Seriously?" He asked, bewildered. "You'd rather just…stand in the middle of nowhere…doing nothing?"

Cloud was silent.

Annoyed, Terra started towards him again while saying, "Come on, I'm just-"

In a blur of black and gray bandages, Cloud had whirled around again, sword swinging, forcing Terra to block again, the earthen warrior grunting as he was once again pushed back by the single strike. Cloud advanced a few steps, his expression once again blank and controlled.

"You're not ready to fight me yet. Go back to the village."

Terra grit his teeth, assuming his fighter's stance, sword held at the ready in one hand while his free one flexed, slightly crouched.

Terra grinned fiercely. "Now them's fighting words. What's the matter? You so convinced you're top dog that you're scared by a little challenge?"

Cloud's eyes narrowed. "Only one person on this whole world can challenge me…I hope you never meet him."

Gripping his sword's hilt with both hands, Cloud swung it out in front of himself, adopting his own stance.

"But if it's a spar you want…fine. I hope you brought enough potions. You'll need them."

Terra grinned, grip on his sword tightening even more, the leather of his glove squelching in protest.

A stand off ensued, neither warrior moving, both keeping eye contact and daring the other to move first.

Never one to back down from a challenge, Terra charged forward, gripping his sword's hilt with both hands and thrusting it forward as he lunged out in a single strike at super sonic speed. Cloud simply swung his massive blade out, deflecting Terra's strike easily and once more forcing him back several feet in a kick up of dust. In an instant, Cloud leveled his sword at Terra and dashed forward in a powerful stab that Terra narrowly avoided by jumping back.

Using the momentum of his jump, Terra swung his sword down with both hands, the tip of his sword crackling with energy and power, the blade slamming into Cloud's larger weapon, but once again, Cloud took the blow and Terra felt his arms shaking fiercely from the reverberations alone from the feedback of the strike. Staggering back, the earth warrior barely recovered in time to doge two rapid slashes from Cloud's massive blade. Rushing forward, Terra leapt and spun wit ha furious cry, his sword once again crackling with power as he performed a spinning slash.

Almost casually, Cloud leapt into the air as well, intercepting the blow with a series of his own, ending with a powerful downward cut that Terra barely managed to block. The earthen warrior was sent crashing back down to the ground below, shouting out in pain. Cloud watched silently, expression unreadable, silent throughout the quick exchange of blows.

"…Weak."

And then his entire blade glowed with a powerful blue aura, and the weapon seemed to move on it's own as Cloud charged down for Terra in a stabbing motion.

Gasping, Terra forced himself to dash backwards to avoid the potentially lethal strike, the impact from Cloud's attack shattering the ground where Terra had been only seconds ago.

Staggering back, Terra thrust his free hand out, a wave of red fire emerging from his palm and shooting towards his opponent.

Unfazed, Cloud slowly extended his own arm out, palm open as a sphere of orange and yellow flame shot out from his own palm, slowly meeting Terra's racing fireball-

And then engulfing it entirely before Terra's stunned eyes.

The fireball suddenly sped up, shooting towards Terra who blocked in time, though was once more pushed back by the explosion of flames. Staggering, the earth warrior's arm fell, his sword drooping weakly as he fought to catch his breath. It hadn't been two minutes into this 'spar' and Cloud was dominating the entire battle. The blonde fighter hadn't broken a sweat or his cool once and Terra was already running out of tricks.

Snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of footsteps, Terra saw Cloud approaching slowly and decided it was all or nothing.

Bringing his arm back, Terra let loose a furious war cry and charged, blade swinging rapidly in a series of spinning strokes, each one following another. Unafraid and unimpressed by the flashy technique, Cloud gripped his sword with both hands, the blade briefly flashing with a golden aura before he brought it down once, deflecting the final strike in Terra's attack easily, the second strike knocking his sword aside entirely and leaving Terra both shocked and defenseless and the third and final blow across the earthen warrior's chest with the flat of his blade, just bruising him badly instead of cutting him open from shoulder to hip.

Defeated, Terra cried out in agony as he was sent flying backwards, landing roughly on his back and sliding in a kick-up of dust, his loaner sword sliding beside in a clatter.

Cloud swung his sword up, stance vanishing as he balanced it across his back, staring at Terra's groaning, limp form.

"I warned you. Is the difference now clear?" There was no mocking in his voice, nor concern, just true curiosity. Terra could only groan quietly in reply, struggling to get up.

Sighing quietly, Cloud turned, walking back to the spot he had been standing at.

But Terra…

The earth warrior staggered to his knees, head bowed as he panted in agony, bangs hiding his eyes. His jaw grit down suddenly and tightly, blood running down the side of his mouth. And a faint, dark smoke rose from his shoulders.

Cloud was almost back at his spot when he stopped in mid-step, eyes widening when he felt a fierce rise of darkness. At first he assumed the worst, but then he frowned, noting the darkness was not what he feared but something else. Turning around, Cloud was momentarily off-guard when he saw Terra suddenly thrust his sword in the air with a roar of, "ENOUGH!" His voice had warped, deepening.

An orb of magic formed at the tip of the blade and dispersed, leaving Cloud even further confused-

And even more defenseless and unprepared as a series of jagged crystalline pillars burst under him while the ground shook fiercely. Grunting, Cloud was propelled up and back, sliding back a few feet, more shocked than actually hurt. Shaking his head, he tried to get a firmer grip on his sword again-

But Terra was already jumping in the air with another roar before plunging down in a move similar to Cloud's own. Only instead of shattering the ground where the sword tip impacted, a wave of purplish black and gold energy was released, striking Cloud and finally making him exclaim in pain as it struck him. Staggering back, Cloud thrust his palm out, shouting, "Terra! Stop!" and releasing three fireballs this time, all three homing in on the enraged warrior.

Terra flung his empty hand out, screaming, "Fire!" and releasing a smoking orb of purple and black fire. Cloud's eyes widened, not only at the color of the flame but also because it shot through his own fireballs, destroying them easily. And then it sped up, slamming into his chest. Cloud was both burned by the attack and had his breath knocked out of him as he staggered back, gasping, all forms of defense gone.

The next second the blonde warrior was really struggling to breathe when Terra suddenly cleared the distance between them in the blink of an eye to wrap his hand around Cloud's neck.

Choking, Cloud grabbed at Terra's hand, trying to force his hold to let up, but the earth warrior's grip was stronger than iron. Gasping for breath, Cloud glanced towards Terra's face. His blue eyes widened when instead of meeting cobalt stones, he saw struggling amber flares mixed in with fading blue, the two colors seemingly at war with each other in Terra's eyes.

Cloud felt his struggles weaken, his lungs burning from lack of air and-

And something about this felt very familiar.

Maybe it was the lack of oxygen to his brain, but for the briefest of seconds, Cloud could have sword Terra's features morphed, tan flesh and hair becoming rusted armor of red and gold and black glass-

Terra blinked suddenly, his enraged expression vanishing into a look of recognition, matching Cloud's own.

Seeing his chance, Cloud brought his arm down on Terra's, freeing himself from the earth warrior's chokehold and forcing him to stagger back. Taking in a huge gulp of air, Cloud raised his sword with one hand and roared, "You're GONE!" and brought it down, releasing a blue wave of energy and power into Terra, forcing him back.

Both warriors staggered, panting and struggling to remain upright, Terra clutching his now badly wounded chest while Cloud clutched his red and raw throat, coughing hoarsely.

"What…happened?" Cloud groaned out, watching Terra closely, sword still held up slightly.

Terra staggered back a little more, panting, at a lost.

"I-I don't…" Was all he could say.

Cloud stood upright, rubbing his throat slowly before once more turning his back to Terra.

"We've had our spar. I think you should you head back now."

Terra looked back at Cloud, eyes once more cobalt and pained.

"Cloud…I…I didn't mean…"

He trailed off while the dark warrior simply remained silent.

Quietly, Terra picked up his sword, still clutching at his new injury, then wiped the blood off his jaw before turning and starting towards the cave that led to the cliffs back to town.

"Terra."

The earth warrior stopped, looking back.

Cloud was glancing over his shoulder again, back at Terra.

"…I once tried to use the power of darkness."

Terra froze in place.

"But…it backfired. I fell into darkness, and couldn't find the light."

Terra found himself turning completely towards Cloud again.

The blonde warrior looked away for a moment. Then he turned away entirely once more; saying softly, "Don't lose sight of your light. Fight for it."

Terra stood there, wondering if Cloud would continue. But the dark warrior was silent, and the faint wind was all that could be heard. Turning, Terra staggered towards the caves, leaving Cloud alone.

Or…

A voice chuckled faintly, and Cloud's eyes narrowed.

_Making friends, are we Cloud?_

The warriors grip tightened on his blade.

Once again, only the faintest whisper of a chuckle could be heard on the winds edge.

* * *

Terra sagged against the wall of the cave, the crystals brightening everything up and their surfaces reflecting his image. His pale face and sweaty features left a lot to be desired.

Shakily, he brushed his bangs aside, looking at his eyes. To his relief they were still blue. Breathing heavily, he wondered what in the worlds had happened back there.

Oh, he knew his anger had got the best of him as seemed to be always doing now ever since he got to this world. But something else had happened. When he was strangling Cloud…

* * *

_A voice shouted, "CLOUD GET AWAY!"_

_Too late._

_Moving so fast his arm was a blur, he raised its Keyblade, which became a whip once more in a flash of light and swirl of cubes, and threw it around Cloud's neck. Cloud choked trying to grab the whip only for him to rise up, rubble falling off his body, though he did not feel it. His body language screamed rage as he pulled his arm back, dragging Cloud over._

_His whip became a Keyblade once more and his left hand grabbed Cloud by the neck. He peered closely at the choking warrior. Then, he jerked his head back in realization._

Not…Za…

* * *

Terra let his hand fall to his side, the memory still fresh in his mind's eye.

But the 'memory' hadn't been what shocked him.

It had been the flash of recognition in Cloud's eyes at the attack.

He knew something.

Coughing, still clutching his aching chest and once more wondering if his encounter with Cloud had broken a rib again, Terra started towards the end of the cave but paused when he heard a rumble. Peering out the opening into the cliffs, Terra grimaced when he spotted dark clouds rolling in. More rumbling, thunder eager to let loose its roars.

"Great," Terra muttered, pulling the hood of his cloak over his head.

A storm was coming.

Just what he needed.

* * *

(Reclines on my old throne, chin resting on my fist.)

Hola, faithful readers!

(Cricket chirps)

...Faithful readers?

Ok, so I think I owe an explanation.

Yes, I did say I was done with Fading Sentiment. Yes, I did declare it discontinued and expressed my hatred of it.

So...

Why am I now updating you ask?

Because one reader pled her heart out and made mine grow three times it size.

And after the trip to the emergency room for some quick surgery, I dusted of my old Fading Sentiment file and went to town on this chapter.

But I noticed a lot of things as I was writing this.

First, it was the first time I was having fun writing a story since the early chapters of Body and Soul.

Second, this ache in my head that I swear was the physical representation of my writer's block vanished.

And third...

I was a jerk to you guys. You've all been so awesome to me and it was cruel of me to just up and quit.

So, I will now do everything in my power to earn your forgiveness by focusing on Fading Sentiment.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter (Though in all honesty I'm pretty rusty).

Should be easy, I've already started on Chapter Seven (Ooh, you guys are gonna LOVE that one).

Also I'm about to graduate and I suddenly have loads of free time thanks to lack of employment!

So, yeah...

Is all forgiven?

(Struck by lightning.)

...cough...guess not...


	9. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: Desires.

He had not even taken five steps outside of the cave when the darkened sky released a torrent of icy rain down upon him and his dry namesake around him.

Terra paused, glancing back up at the pouring skies, scowling under his hood. Rubbing the fresh wound across his chest, Terra cursed himself again for drinking his last potion before his 'spar' with Cloud. It wasn't a life-threatening wound (As far as he knew), but it wasn't exactly going to be fun walking all the way back to Radiant Garden with every step and breath sending a stab of agony through him. Lowering his head with a low sigh, Terra resumed walking through the cliff pass, wincing a few times but otherwise managing to ignore the pain and the cold rain beating down on him.

It was a boring walk to and from, considering the first time he had been through this pass was when he had been chasing Sparky and Stitch had been practically dragging him along the way…by the boot. Chuckling at the memory (Then regretting it due to a stab of pain through his chest), Terra continued forward, turning a corner that led into a narrow spot. And then he stopped when he noticed the shadows thickening… and writhe.

And then growing bright yellow eyes, all locked onto him.

"Finally, took you guys long enough," Terra grumbled, grip tightening on the hilt of his sword as he was raising it.

But no sooner did he raise the weapon then did the eyes wink out, and the shadows were suddenly not so dark as they had been seconds ago.

Terra blinked, sword lowering slightly. "Again…?" He whispered.

Just like back in the castle, after his encounter with that portrait of Xehanort, no Heartless Terra had encountered as he stormed through the corridors, angry and lost, looking for something to tear into a thousand pieces or burn to ashes, had dared get in his way. Instead, each creature had either sunk into the shadows or vanished in a swirl of darkness. He had simply written it off as the abominations proving they had slightly more intelligence than given credit for.

But now…

He shook his head.

"I'm reading too much into this. They're just monsters," He muttered, lowering his sword and resuming his trek. But still, he couldn't help but take a quick glance back over his shoulder. He forced himself to face forward, shaking his head once before quickening his pace, wincing once and moving on.

While behind him…

The yellow eyes blinked open, watching the cloaked figure retreat further into the canyon passes. Normally, a Heartless's eyes only contained that blind hunger. But in these particular Heartless…

There was the faintest flicker of something else…

* * *

The rest of the trip up the passes was boring, wet, miserable and almost depressing.

Terra was eager to get back to Merlin's warm cottage and collapse onto his soft bed and sleep until…heck, he didn't care, however long it took to get all these aches out of his system.

Rolling his arm, trying to ease some tension out his shoulder, Terra breathed a sigh of relief when he finally spotted the gate that led to the bailey outside the castle and just into the village. From this point it was a short walk…though he wished it was a shorter walk now because of this rain, which was showing no sign of letting up anytime soon. And if anything it was coming down harder now all of a sudden.

Walking quickly, face twitching in a small grimace of pain caused by his new stride, Terra arrived in the bailey, mindful to close the gate behind as he did and headed for the stairs, taking them two at a time (Muttering the occasional "Ow," as he did, each double step sending a jolt of pain through his aching body) and then taking several slow strides through the guard post, relieved to be under a temporary roof and out of the rain. And then he was back inside the village, right atop the protective wall under construction (And out from under the roofed passage way). With a sigh, Terra turned around, facing the village homes rooftops, noting that practically all of them had light leaking through their windows and smoke wafting from the occasional chimney.

No doubt families were gathering together early because of the rain. He could picture the smiles, almost feel the warmth from the light and fires. Terra smiled wistfully suddenly.

He remembered these kinds of days back in the Land of Departure, him and Aqua, and later Ven, bored out of their minds inside that big ancient castle. For the three of them being cooped inside that castle and not being able to explore the vast world that acted as their training grounds was the worst possible thing that could happen to them…at the time. But, they would cheer themselves up with warm drinks (Ranging from tea to hot chocolate) and some games would put smiles back on their faces. Though the day would usually end with some kind of prank by Ven on Terra, and both Ven and Aqua would be laughing at his expanse while he scowled and glowered, though internally smirking as he thought of ways he would get them back…

Those were simpler times, happier times.

Thinking about them was even more painful than the wound he was currently suffering. His flesh would heal. His heart and soul…

Terra wasn't sure those wounds could be healed.

Sighing, first in resignation and then groaning in annoyance when he realized he had been standing there so long the rain was starting to soak through the leather of his cloak. Moving quickly he headed towards the steps, mindful of his speed going down them this time as the sudden downpour had created a virtual waterfall down the steps and he didn't want to trip because knowing his luck ever since he arrived in Radiant Garden he would end up grievously injured…again.

Making his way around the corner and back into the alleyways of the village, Terra was instantly greeted with the sigh of Merlin's cottage and he could just make out the faint orange light of a warm fire leaking through the front window. He didn't think he could ever be happier to see the simple cottage. Breathing a sigh of relief, Terra cleared the distance between himself and the door in a few evenly paced strides. In the next moment he was out of the pouring rain and into the dry warmth of the main room of the cottage.

As he was closing the door, Terra found himself frowning for some reason. The inside of the cabin was as calm and peaceful as always, but something felt missing, though he was lost as to what exactly. But then as Terra tuned towards Cid's computer, about to greet him with a 'Hey I'm back', he realized what was missing.

Cid. The ornery ex-pilot was not in his chair, furiously typing away at his computer. The giant monitor of said computer was dark and slightly reflecting in the pale light coming from the glowing stove in the corner just past Merlin's table covered with various knick knacks and tea kettle. And then was when Terra realized Merlin wasn't here either.

This was strange, Terra wasn't use to the cottage being so quiet. He was sad to say he had gotten use to being greeted by the old men and their witty banter. Though he wasn't complaining, the silence was rather nice.

Advancing further into the room, occupying the silence now with the dripping of his soaked form, Terra was approaching the podium when he noticed a sudden flicker in the light in the corner. Blinking, he glanced toward it and found himself stifling a chuckle. Sleeping in the corner on a small bed was Sparky, his small form curled into a little ball, his drooping antennas flickering with the occasional spark, explaining the flicker in light. On the floor next to his cousin was Stitch, likewise curled up, his own ears twitching with the occasional soft snore slipping past his open maw.

Moving a bit more quietly as to not disturb the snoozing experiments, Terra moved onto the podium by Merlin's table and a second later it was floating up and into the second floor above. The earth warrior let out a long sigh of relief as he arrived in the lightly lit hallway. Just a few quick steps and he would be in his room and on his nice, soft and warm be-

"Finally back are we?"

Cobalt eyes blinked, meeting a pair of irritated sapphire gemstones, their owner leaning against her own room's door, arms crossed over chest, light reflecting off the silver heart emblem just peeking over the pale flesh of them. Terra blinked again, immediately noting that Aqua was not in a good mood. And he had learned quickly an angry was a frightening thing to behold if you were on the wrong side of her anger. Though it was something else entirely if you were observing it…

Quickly willing the ever stranger thoughts aside (Lately though all of his thoughts had been strange, they were especially if involving Aqua), Terra forced himself to hold her gaze while he did a quick mental recap, wondering why she was giving him such a look-

And then hit him.

He had left without telling her.

Aqain.

Letting out a low groan, Terra rubbed the back of his head, wet gloved fingers slipping through his dripping spikes before he chuckled hastily and finally responded. "Uh, yeah! Just got back. Man, it's really coming down out there."

Aqua nodded, still leaning against her door's frame. "Must have interrupted your training," she mused. Her eyes narrowing and gleaming dangerously. "I know how you hate that, Terra."

And she knew what he had been doing all day. That wasn't too surprising considering he had pulled stunts like this all the time back in their training days with the Master. He had been caught several times by Aqua, receiving a stern verbal lashing on how he couldn't disregard the Master's orders to ease up on his training and that he was pushing himself too hard.

History had a funny way of repeating itself, he noted with something that tasted bitter, taking a step off the podium and further into the hallway, unable to fight off the sudden wince of pain that jolted through his chest, his hand moving towards his newest wound. This did not go unnoticed by Aqua at all and her angry disposition vanished in an instant as she stepped forward, uncrossing her arms, her eyes widening. "What's wrong?" She asked, stepping closer towards him.

Then her concern vanished suddenly, her eyes narrowing once again, this time in knowing. "You hurt yourself again, didn't you?" Aqua asked, well, more demanded than asked.

Terra attempted to shrug her question off but found that attempting even the simple motions of raising and lowering his shoulder sent another vicious stab of pain through chest and his face contorted briefly in a grimace. "…no," he managed to say through grit teeth. Aqua sighed, her hand coming to rest on her forehead as she slowly shook her head in disbelief. "You always do this," she whispered.

Terra blinked, staring down on her as his cobalt eyes hardened slightly, aggravation flashing in their stony depths. "Do what?" He asked, tone still light as he tried to keep his own temper in check.

"This!" She snapped suddenly, surprising Terra and making him flinch. "You always do this! You push yourself so hard that you hurt yourself, but you keep going at it anyway and make it worse!"

Terra's eyes narrowed further to match the glare Aqua was giving him head on. "That's not what happened," he replied, tone low but no longer light, his temper barely reigning in.

Aqua scoffed lightly, shaking her head again before she snapped quickly, "Oh please, Terra I know you and I've seen you do this before."

Oh, she was really beginning to push it and Terra found his anger igniting like a hot inferno about to consume a forest. "That's not what happened at all," He snapped back, voice rising just a bit.

Aqua crossed her arms, still glaring up at Terra, sapphire gems filled with disbelief. "Then what happened Terra? What's caused you to limp in here holding your chest like you're trying to keep a rib in place?"

He was pretty sure the rib wasn't broken or cracked, just bruised…and bruised badly at that. Hissing through clenched teeth he was about to tell her exactly what had happened when he stopped, mouth open though the anger in his eyes faded as he realized that was perhaps the STUPIDEST thing he could possibly do right now. If she was angry now, he knew Aqua would be absolutely livid to find out he had a…'spar', with Cloud, resulting in his current injury.

Turning his head away to avoid her gaze, Terra replied rather lamely, "Uh…nothing. It's like you said, I just pulled something." While he was saying that he tried to move past her and get closer to his room.

Bu Aqua wasn't fooled. Heck, he had never been able to fool her, she knew him too well. Genuine concern and worry replaced anger and irritation as she stepped closer, blocking his attempts leave while she asked, "Wait, what happened? Really? Terra?"

Sighing again, this time in defeat, Terra briefly closed his eyes before once again looking away, avoiding her gaze not of shame of being caught lying…but because he wasn't worth her fretting over. He didn't deserve such sincere kindness.

"Terra? Please, tell me what happened," Her melodic voice pierced through his thoughts.

Resigning himself, he finally responded.

"I…I got into a fight with Cloud."

Aqua's eyes widened in disbelief.

"It's not that bad!" Terra quickly said, waving one hand out while still clutching his chest with the other, unable to fight off another grimace of pain.

That failed to at all alleviate Aqua's worry though it succeeded in reigniting the anger that had been boiling over.

"Oh really Terra?" She asked, voice seething with such fury it honestly surprised Terra more than anything. He had never seen her like this and he was baffled by it.

"Was it not that bad when he _tore_ your chest open with a single swing of that massive sword he so easily tosses around or was it not as bad as when you were _bleeding to death_ on Merlin's table?"

Terra's anger once more flared up, a volcano more than ready to explode at her for her condescending words. Must he be constantly reminded of his failings and his current weakness? He was so tired of it and wasn't going to take this anymore!

Eyes and expression livid with fury, Terra was more than ready to give her his real thoughts about her constant worrying and mothering over him and how sic, no, how much he _loathed _it and her-

His train of thought stopped in an instant when he looked back at her face.

He could still see the anger…but there were other feelings in her eyes now. Hurt. Concern…and tears. Small dabs of them gathering in the corners of her eyes and Terra felt his anger ice over entirely.

Aqua looked away when she realized he saw the tears she felt gathering in her eyes and she covered her mouth with her hand, stifling a sniffle.

Once again, Terra was silent, but not in lost wonder. Now he understood why she was so upset.

"Aqua," He said softly, his voice having smoothed over and cooled like his now faded anger.

"I'm sorry."

She still did not meet his suddenly somber expression, and she stifled another sniffle, though this one almost sounded like a sob.

"Terra, I just don't understand…" She finally said.

The earthen warrior did not respond, only waited for the water maiden to go on.

"Ever since we arrived you've continually gone out of your way to put yourself in harms way…and it scares me," She revealed, finally looking back up at him, the tears in her eyes now slipping down her cheeks. "You were injured when I found you…but you charged right at Cloud and Yuffie… then the very next day you chased after Sparky into the wilderness…and then you insisted on going to the castle even though you revealed you couldn't wield the Keyblade anymore."

Staring up at the silent and somber male, the frustrated female went on still, her worries bursting free at last like her namesake escaping a burst dam.

"Now you go and do this? Why? Why do you insist on harming yourself like this?"

Her words trailed off and now she looked back at him expectantly.

Terra sighed again, shoulders slumping even further if that was possible.

"…I hate this, Aqua."

She blinked, confused, but still silent, waiting for him to go on.

"I can't stand the idea of just sitting here, doing nothing, even just letting my wounds heal…because then I'll can think about is how much of a failure I've become. Or this…"

He extended his hand out a little ways, light flashing and cubes spun, but like before, no mighty weapon appeared and they merely fizzled out.

"…is the reminder of my failings. No, more than that. It's my punishment."

That had the water maiden exclaiming in disbelief, "Punishment?"

She almost added 'For what?' But stopped herself. Neither of them needed to be reminded of what exactly Terra thought he needed to be punished for.

Terra nodded sadly, arm falling to his side, his head bowing in shame.

"I can't call the Keyblade anymore…After having it for so long…it was a part of me, Aqua. The symbol of my dream to see all the worlds there were and protect the light they held…"

He chuckled lowly, grim and dark, shaking his head.

"I wanted to earn the Mark of a Master…I wanted to be a peacekeeper…"

His head bowed even lower, his longer bangs hiding his despondent eyes.

"…some peacekeeper I turned out to be. Now the Keyblade has been stripped from me…and what am I without it? Without it's strength how can I hope to fight…"

He trailed off, not daring to say what he was hoping the Keyblade would give him the strength to further resist.

But in his minds eye he saw the dark flames around his hand, felt the thrill of slaughter as the Heartless fell to his blade and the rush- oh that _rush_- of power that accompanied all of it. It was a forbidden fruit, a path that he knew all too well where it led. And yet twice now he had dared to once more venture that path.

He had learned nothing and he was weaker than ever.

Terra blinked suddenly. He looked up and was surprised by how much closer Aqua was now. Smiling softly, she reached out and took his hand.

"You don't need to fight to prove who you are…you're Terra. Isn't that good enough? It is for me." She said, still smiling, all anger and hurt gone from her voice, replaced by a gentleness, her words soft and soothing. Easing away the pain…

The wounded warrior found himself smiling. "Aqua…" He breathed.

And then he returned her grip before suddenly pulling her close into an embrace. Aqua blinked, momentarily off guard before smiling and returning the embrace fully. But it was a split second later that she noticed something…

Terra was rather enjoying the feeling of Aqua's warm body pressing against him, heating him up from the chill of the rain still soaking him. So he was rather surprised when Aqua suddenly wriggled out of his grasp and took a few steps back. Blinking, suddenly anxious that he might have overstepped himself, Terra asked, (Trying and failing to keep the edge of worry out of his voice), "Aqua?"

She had her hand over her mouth again and Terra noticed she was shaking. Mentally cursing himself for his stupid impulses, Terra quickly said, "Ah, Aqua I-"

"Really stink."

Terra stopped, blinking.

Aqua lowered her hand, revealing a smirk of amusement and crinkle on her nose. "Really bad I might add," she continued, and this time she was stifling laughter, not tears, as she covered her mouth again, just barely muffling said giggles. And no doubt protecting her nose from Terra.

Groaning, then chuckling despite himself, Terra took a quick whiff of himself and lurched back slightly, grimacing this time from his very apparent B.O.

"Well, training does tend to work up a sweat…though I was hoping the rain had washed it away." He grumbled, his cheeks slightly red from embarrassment.

Pinching her nose, Aqua suddenly pointed down the all.

"Shower. Right now."

Terra groaned. "But Aqua, I'm tired-"

"And you stink," She interrupted, stressing the last word. "And there's no way I'm letting you go to bed just so your stink can waft through the hall and into my room, keeping me up all night as I gag and choke."

Shaking his head and sighing sharply in aggravation, he moved past her successfully this time (As she moved quickly away from him) and admitted defeat as he said, "Fine, fine. I'm going."

"Make sure to use lots of soap!" She called after him and he could just hear the smirk in her voice as well as he could imagine it on her lips. Still, the image of her smiling was enough to make him smile and he made no further protests as he headed for the bathroom, deciding a warm shower might not be so bad after all.

Aqua watched him go, removing her hand from her nose as she stared thoughtfully at her closet friend, particularly his long locks the shade of healthy soil. She tapped her chin thoughtfully, a small smile forming on her lips…

* * *

Just a little under a half an hour later, Terra stepped out of the steaming bathroom dressed in only his open black vest and gray pants that he had been wearing under his cloak since he had woken in Aqua's arms in the Realm of Darkness, breathing a sigh of relief as steam rushed past him into the cooler hallway. Okay, he decided as he noticed the slight relief in his muscles and wound, not a bad idea at all. He was running a white towel through his still dripping locks, rubbing his head dry, one eye closed while the other peeked open in annoyance. This extra hair was beginning to become a pain, he decided, remembering how it had clung to his forehead and drooped over his eyes during his training and now it was even a hassle to get clean.

Still rubbing his hair dry, Terra carried his cloak in his other arm as he headed for his room, just opening the door when he heard Aqua call from her room, "All clean?'

Rolling his eyes, he called back, "Yes, now you don't have to worry about choking to death on my rancid stench."

"Thank the gods," she called back and Terra chuckled under his breath, stepping into his room but leaving the door open behind him. Just as he was draping his cloak over his bed he heard Aqua call again, "Terra? Would you come here?"

Blinking, Terra looked through his open door towards Aqua's room, noting it was open. "Uh, sure. Be right there," He called back, starting towards her room, leaving his door open behind him as he did. It was then he noticed a slight quickening of his heart and a heat on his cheeks. He decided his cheeks just from the sudden temperature change from the hot bathroom to the relatively cool hallway.

His heart's sudden rapid beating was unexplainable though.

Or rather he chose not to look too deeply into it.

He stepped through the doorframe and slightly into Aqua's room, opening his mouth to say, "Hey-" But he stopped after getting only the first word out. His eyes widened slightly and his face got significantly redder.

Aqua had her back to Terra and was currently rummaging through the drawers of her rooms dresser, unnoticing Terra even though he could see himself in the dressers vanity mirror. He was really hoping he could wipe that stupid look off his face before she noticed him. Though he was still too focused on Aqua…

Or rather her current…dress state.

She was still wearing her black halter top with the pink bands crossing over her chest but her belle sleeves and armor were off, exposing her thin, petite arms, though he had hardly noticed as his eyes were currently drawn to her exposed legs. Aqua's black stockings and metal boots were off, exposing the pale, creamy expanses of her thighs and ankles…

He had never seen her in just her top and shorts…

He was rather enjoying this look more than her fully clothed one.

That thought was enough to shake him out of his sudden stupor, with a literal shake of his head, whipping a few drips of water off his locks as he did.

The sudden motion caught Aqua's attention and she turned, smiling as she said, "Hey! Sorry, I was looking for some scissors," She said with a wave of her hand towards her dresser by way of explanation with said item held in her dainty fingers.

Once again, Terra reviewed that thought and the word he had used in it.

Where was this suddenly coming from?

Aqua noticed his distracted look and slight flush on his cheeks. Walking over, she placed a cool hand on his forehead while asking, "Are feeling alright? You look warm…"

And he was most definitely feeling warmer once he felt her fingers brush his flushed skin. Swallowing and clearing his throat while shaking his head again, Terra said quickly, "Yeah, just-just a little hot. It's nothing."

Aqua gave him a funny look, blue brow raised before she shrugged it off and walked back towards her bed and dresser.

Terra's eyes were drawn to her hips, noting the slight swing in them and then he was suddenly too hot, quickly looking away and removing the towel from his head, noting that it was sweat now running down his skin and not just water. Why were all these forbidden thoughts suddenly running through his head and why did his eyes seem to have minds of their own when it came to studying Aqua's amazing figure-

"Terra?"

Thankful for the sudden distraction from his thoughts, Terra looked towards Aqua and saw her patting a spot on the end of her bed, an inviting smile on her lips.

This was really not helping…

"Uhh," Was all he could lamely reply before suddenly noticing the scissors in her hand. "What's with those?" He asked, totally not trying to stall for time.

Rolling her eyes, Aqua replied evenly, completely failing to notice Terra's sudden rigid-ness, "Well, you kind of need scissors to cut things like, oh I don't know…paper, clothes and, oh yeah, hair!"

Still standing by the door, though now confused, Terra just stared blankly. Then it dawned on him a split second later and he blinked, flabbergasted. "Wait, what? Hair?"

Aqua nodded, smiling at Terra's antics before saying further, "Yeah, as in a haircut. You look like you could use one. I can tell it's been getting on your nerves."

No argument from Terra there as he picked up one of his long bangs that went down to his shoulder, glaring at it before looking back at Aqua, who smiled invitingly, patted the spot on the bed and snipped the scissors once. Recalling back in their younger days she had always been the one to cut his and Ven's hair, Terra relaxed a little, returning her smile as he quickly cleared the distance from her door to her bed and sat down on it. As soon as he did, Aqua snatched the towel from his hand and spread it over the area of the bed she knew the cut hair would fall.

Before she began cutting, Aqua ran her fingers through his dark locks, taking note where she needed to cut the most and where the least. As she did, she felt Terra shiver suddenly and as she glanced towards the mirror, saw his eyes were closed. Confused, she was about to say something when she got a much better look at him from the mirror.

Specifically the open vest he wore over his chest, exposing his smooth darkly tanned skin and taunt muscles…

Aqua felt her cheeks burning and she shook her head fiercely.

_Bad thoughts! Bad thoughts!_

Noticing he sudden shifting, Terra's eyes blinked open as he snapped out oh his dazed stupor from feeling her run her fingers through his hair and he noticed her shaking her head and sudden blush. "Aqua?" He asked, his voice snapping her out of her own daze with a soft gasp when she realized he was looking at her. "Are you okay?" He asked, genuine concern in his voice.

Hastily nodding, Aqua replied quickly, "Y-Yeah! Just…just got a little hot in here suddenly."

Boy had it.

Wanting to distract herself from her traitorous thoughts, Aqua returned her attention to his hair and began snipping away at the long bangs and spiked locks with quick precise cuts. Terra kept his gaze on her for another second, cobalt eyes wondering, before he straightened his stare towards the mirror, watching Aqua's reflection work on his own. Time passed silently between them as Aqua worked quickly but carefully, her hands quickly fell back into a familiar rhythm of motions as she cut away at Terra's hair.

"I don't think I've ever seen it this long since we were kids," Aqua said suddenly, when she was about halfway done.

Terra gave a single dry chuckle, though it was more of a deriding scoff and Aqua paused, looking at him in surprise.

"I guess me and Xehanort preferred different styles," Terra muttered bitterly, once more avoiding Aqua's sapphire gaze, though unable to hide the sudden burning in his own cobalt orbs.

Aqua's shoulders slumped, her expression falling as she realized she had said something she shouldn't.

Silent again, she resumed her work, a frown still on her face while Terra once more looked despondent, with barely hidden anger now flashing through his hard eyes. Not anger towards Aqua, but himself.

And that old monster who had worn his body like a suit.

Aqua paused mid snip, her fingers letting a lock of Terra's hair slip through them. Terra blinked, snapping out of his angered daze when he felt Aqua stroke his bare shoulder. Glancing back at her, he saw beautiful face frowning with worry, sapphire gemstones sparkling with hesitance.

"Aqua?" he asked.

"Terra," she responded slowly, fingers absently stoking his exposed shoulder and she swallowed as she internally debated with herself. But she had to know, and it would explain so much if she was correct in her suspicions.

"Terra," she said again before taking a breath and diving.

"Do you…do you remember anything from…then?"

There was no need to elaborate nay further than that.

Terra's expression didn't change at first, though his eyes fell away from hers and he looked away after a moment. Aqua held her breath as he stared away for several moments and she once again wondered if she had taken too much of a risk and crossed a boundary not ready to be crossed yet.

Fro Terra, however…

His debate was simpler.

* * *

"_You have arrived."_

"_I've been to see him. He looks a lot like you."_

_-An identity he had abandoned-_

_-His burning eyes narrowed in pleasure at the sight of the marching legions of the Heartless as they advanced onwards-_

_-He grinned savagely-_

-_the sensation of someone roughly patting his shoulder in a friendly gesture._

"_Well, don't sweat it. I've got your back._"

"_These thoughts are best forgotten._"

"_What a shame," he mused, raising his arm before lowering it._

"_And here I thought we could be friends..."_

* * *

And in the end the choice of answer was all too clear.

"No," he replied lowly, finally opening his eyes to look back at Aqua. Smiling, he went on to say, "I've thankfully been spared that."

Relief flooded and drowned out the worry and hesitance in her eyes and she breathed a sigh of relief before smiling back at him. Though for a terrible second he could have sworn there was a flash of disappointment hidden in her eyes…But he brushed it off.

"That's great," Aqua said, still smiling. "I'm so glad that terrible man isn't plaguing you even in death."

Terra nodded, keeping his own smile on and hoping she wouldn't notice the twitch in his lips that was his muscles attempting to form another depressed frown.

Silence once more settling between them (This time comfortably), Aqua resumed putting the finishing touches on Terra's hair and with one final snip, pulled her hand away and stepped back off the bed and stood up, smiling. "All done," she announced, letting Terra stand up before she carefully folded the towel with all his cut hair on it up and moved towards a wastebasket in the room's corner. Terra meanwhile was peering at himself in the mirror, eyes scrutinizing his hair.

It was once more cut so that it now only went down to the base of his neck like it used too and with a single crown like spike atop his head with a few smaller ones on the side, he was glad he no longer had all those other spiked locks and long bangs on his shoulders, though Terra noted his bangs were different, instead of two long ones framing his face there were four thinner ones on both sides. Different yes, but it was superficial and he was just happy it was finally cut.

"Well?" Aqua asked as she walked back over, setting the towel down before looking at Terra nervously, biting her lip slightly. "Do you like it?"

Terra smiled, proofing her worry baseless, and he ran a hand through his thinner locks while saying, "I love it. It looks great and it's not going to get in my eyes anymore."

Aqua giggled at that and Terra smiled, delighted by the melodic sound. _Agh_, he thought with a wince. Again with the strange thoughts.

Aqua noticed his sudden wince and frowned. "Terra? Something wrong?"

Caught, Terra blinked again, inhaling a sharp, "Ah-" And then he cut himself off with another wince, this time not because of hi strange thoughts towards Aqua but because of a brief flare up from his chest. Rubbing the pained area where Cloud had struck him, Terra cursed himself for forgetting the wound entirely.

Aqua narrowed her gaze in concern, looking at the area Terra was clutching on his chest, noticing a dark purple and blue bruise and a rather large one at that. In the span of a few seconds she was suddenly right in front of Terra, making him blink and flinch back in surprise, his face heating up by the proximity once again. Another intelligent "Uh," was all he managed to get out before Aqua gently moved his hand aside, and then his mind went blank when he felt the soft tips of her fingers brush over his suddenly burning skin.

"Here," she said, though Terra didn't hear it all, too lost in the sensation of her touching him. "Let me…"

Aqua's voice trailed off as she closed her eyes and concentrated. In seconds she had gathered the magic into her hand and after another moment of concentration she released it through her finger tips in a wave of healing green light tinged with yellow. Terra groaned deeply as the pain in his chest vanished completely, leaving only the soothing warmth of Aqua's magic. The sound startled Aqua and she jerked her hand back, much to Terra's displeasure and he let out a low hiss of breath.

"Oh gosh! Terra, I'm sorry! My magic's must still be on the fritz, oh please tell me I didn't make it worse," Aqua's words were flowing out of her faster than Ven after he tried his first cup of coffee.

Smiling, Terra brushed the spot where the bruise had been and there was only smooth tanned skin, no aches or pains of any kind left.

"Aqua, your magic's fine. See? It's completely gone." He said with a smile, though still found himself missing her touch as he pointed towards the spot where the bruise had been.

These strange thoughts were coming in too fast for him to even care anymore.

Aqua breathed a sigh of relief, smiling once again. Her gaze wondered to his chest again, and she once more found herself blushing as she stared at his well developed muscles. She could swear they had not been this impressive back in their training days…

She blinked feeling her cheeks heat up. But that's when she saw it. Her eyes widened for a split second, and then fell, becoming sad. The sudden change surprised Terra completely.

"Aqua?" He asked, though she did not respond. He was even more surprised when she reached out with her hand again, brushing his chest, directly over his heart.

He wondered, (And silently hoped she couldn't) if she could feel it pounding against his flesh, right under her fingers.

But then she realized what she had seen and what she was touching.

That scar.

Terra felt his own expression somber once more as he glanced at the area she was touching, just making out the faintest hint of the paler skin, the jagged mark yet another reminder of the time Xehanort had stolen from him.

But for Aqua, it was a reminder of something else…

Memories echoed in the corner of her mind, her voice…

And anothers…

* * *

_He groaned, voice weak and tense with struggle._

"_Stop…fighting back!"_

_She gasped, her voice laced with something too similar to hope._

"_Terra, I know you're in there!"_

_Enraged and struggling grunts filled the air. And then a roar._

"_This'll teach you! GET OUT OF MY HEART!"_

_Then there was the sound of flesh piercing._

_And her scream._

"_TERRA!"_

* * *

"Aqua?"

His smooth voice, so different in comparison to back then broke her thoughts and made her look up again, right into his handsome face. For a terrifying second she could picture those horrible amber flares and imagine his earthen locks frosted over a cool silvery white. But it was only her imagination.

"Are you ok?" He asked, and she felt his hand over hers, his large calloused palm covering her smaller, smoother one easily. His thumb was gently stroking her palm, a soothing motion laced with worry.

Aqua nodded slowly, her eyes once more drawn to the jagged scar now hidden by both of their hands, her fingers lightly tracing it. She felt Terra shudder again, his skin prickling with gooseflesh. Blinking, she almost flinched back in surprise but stopped herself. Instead she gently pulled her hand away from his chest and hand, instantly finding herself missing the warmth of his flesh.

She shook her head.

This room was getting way too hot…

"Terra," she said, her voice low and soft. Then it became rushed and hurried as she suddenly said, "I…I think it's time for bed. Goodnight." And with that she turned, moving towards her bed, expecting him to agree or nod at least and then step out of her room, taking him with him the unbearable heat he was giving off-

"Aqua."

His voice froze her mere inches from her bed and the safety of oblivious sleep it offered.

She shifted uncomfortably, but did not look back at him.

So he spoke again.

"What's wrong? Aqua…"

Ad suddenly that heat was closer than ever, and his breath ghosted the back of her neck.

"Please look at me."

His voice was soft, but not insistent like she expected.

It was pleading.

She breathed in slowly, a shuddering breath, before turning to meet his intense cobalt gaze once more. He was right in front of her now, eyes full of concern and…something else. Something that made her heart skip a beat.

"Please," He said again, before reaching out to stoke her cheek.

"What's wrong?"

She leaned into his touch, savoring it. Then she sighed, pulling back a little and crossed her arms over her chest, avoiding his gaze.

"…Terra I…I never told you how I got into the Realm of Darkness…"

She risked a look at him.

He was silent his gaze suddenly very intense. Her shaking knees joined her quivering heart. Steeling herself, she forced herself to go on.

"I…I had to take Ventus back to our world after freeing him from Vanitas…"

She caught his sudden flinch and the flash of shame in his eyes.

"And…I had to leave him there, after I made sure no one would find him or harm him, that they would be lost in oblivion if they even tried to search the castle."

His eyes flashed in confusion for a moment, but he smiled once he heard of her preparations for Ven's safety and he nodded his approval, still remaining silent as to urge her to go on.

And so she did.

"As I was leaving…I heard your voice."

There was shock in his eyes this time, along with a low gasp, but still, he did not speak.

"You…you were begging me to put an end to you."

N surprise this from him this time, just bitter agreement.

"Sound's about right…" He whispered.

Aqua stared up at him, loathing herself when she saw the pain and misery in his eyes. And she knew she was going to truly hate herself if she went on.

"…I followed your voice Terra."

That made the earth warrior's body snap straight. She avoided his eyes, knowing they would be wide and fearful with just a hint of hope that she would not confirm what they both knew was coming next.

"And I found you. Here. In Radiant Garden."

"No," he whispered, shaking his head in horror. "Please tell me that is not the truth, and this is a very, very cruel joke."

His feeble hopes were crushed as she shook her head, still avoiding his eyes.

"You were…lost, confused. In pain. I wanted to help you but…"

The past echoed, slipping from her lips.

"Such a terrible darkness…"

Before she said that, Terra thought he couldn't possibly be any more horrified.

He wanted to know if she ran, wanted to grab her and demand to know if she had run from him. Please, he wanted to say.

_Please tell me you ran_.

But she did not.

"You…he…He attacked me. And I fought back with everything I had."

Horror and pride were not emotions that mixed well for Terra.

"He…you…He was injured and then there was…this light."

Terra blinked, now completely dumbfounded with disbelief.

"It was you, Terra" Aqua said, finally looking back up at him.

Gods save him, she was smiling at him with tears in her eyes. No, for him. She was smiling for him.

"You were fighting back," she went on, voice breathless. "And you were winning, Terra, I know you were. But…Xehanort…he…"

And once more, she reached out, her fingers just hovering over the rough flesh of his scar.

He never in his life wanted her so badly to reach over completely and touch him again.

"He…plunged his Keyblade into your chest, trying to lock your heart out of his," Aqua finally said, her hand falling away.

"And then…you fell into darkness."

Terra's eyes widened, his whole body snapping rigid once more.

"You didn't," he breathed, shaking his head in denial, hoping to all the gods and the light in all worlds that he had let him fall and she had left.

But he knew she hadn't.

"I did," She confirmed with a single nod.

"I dived in after you…and I gave you my armor and Keyblade so you could live."

_Condemning yourself to eternal darkness_, his mind seethed.

His arms shook at his sides, fingers clenching and unclenching, his rage flowing through him like lifeblood.

Rage towards Xehanort for daring to lay a hand-his own hands- on her when he had vowed to use them to protect his friends, her above all else, and rage towards himself for his act of defiance that would have forced Xehanort to seal himself in that terrible Realm…

Making Aqua believe he had regained control, inspiring her to exchange her freedom for his…

And the rest was as they say, history.

Once more, Aqua refused to meet his gaze, turning her head away.

Terra wanted to scream. He wanted to call her a fool and curse her for sacrificing herself for him when it hadn't even been him she had given years of her life for.

But above all that he found himself wishing that self inflicted attack Xehanort had delivered on himself would have been enough to kill him back then and save Aqua from this grief. His whole body was shaking with unimaginable fury and self-loathing pushed beyond the limits of what he thought he could already feel.

What she said next tore him from his burning rage and left him frozen and breathless.

"I'm sorry, Terra…"

She looked back up at him, tears once more spilling from the corners of her eyes and down her pale cheeks.

"I'm so sorry," She said, voice hitching with a pained sob.

For a split-second he didn't understand at all why she was sorry or why she was crying when it should have been him begging for her forgiveness of all of his sins, for the blood on his hands but then he remembered.

"_I-I let my pride and arrogance get to my head…I let my title as Master influence me…and that's why…that's why you wandered alone for so long and how Xehanort was able to make your darkness grow out of control. He deceived you…because I couldn't swallow my pride."_

Her confession from yesterday was still fresh on his mind and now he truly understood her pain and tears.

They were for him, even though he did not deserve her tears or forgiveness.

And yet…

"…_I'm going to help you heal…I promise…"_

If she could help him heal…

Couldn't he do the same for her?

Aqua turned her head away, embarrassed and ashamed of her tears and for Terra seeing her like this. She tried to move away-

But a pair of strong arms caught her and pulled her into a tight embrace.

She gasped, completely caught off guard by both the action and sudden proximity, her face really heating up now. "Terra-" she gasped but he interrupted her.

"Aqua," the fierceness of his voice left her speechless. She could only listen.

"You've made all these sacrifices…put yourself in harms way for my safety and Ven's…you gave up your life for mine when I was lost…"

More tears gathered in her eyes and a small whimper slipped past her lips.

And still he went on.

"I thought…I thought when I woke up in that realm…on that shore…that I had been sent there because I could fall no further into darkness…But now I know, Aqua…"

His hold loosened, just enough for her to peer up at him, her eyes light and glittering with tears, his dark and intense, making her knees quiver. She would have collapsed if not for his strong grip on her.

"I was sent there…so you could find me…because…"

Their faces were suddenly much closer, heated breath mingling…

"You're my light…to guide me from the darkness…"

And that's when his lips touched hers.

The contact sent an electric jolt through Aqua, her body going rigid in Terra's grasp. Her eyes widened while his remained close, shock and awe flashing through the sapphire gemstones. She had never thought, never dared to hope, that he would ever-

But just as soon as the kiss begun it ended as Terra pulled away abruptly, leaving Aqua slightly breathless and lightheaded. The warmth of his embrace was gone a second later and it was then Aqua realized Terra had stepped back. Blinking her suddenly heavy eyes, she looked at him, seeing pain and shame etched on his handsome face, his eyes avoiding hers.

"I…" He breathed before turning hastily while saying, "I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have-" His voice failed him and he made a quick move towards the door.

He had barely taken a step when Aqua's hand desperately snatched his wrist, her small fingers barely wrapping around his larger limb.

Flinching from the contact, Terra stopped and turned slowly, meeting Aqua's blushing face.

"Terra…" She panted softly. There was a desperate pleading in her voice, the tiniest hint of something…

Dare he call it desire?

For him?

Her other hand once more reached out to stroke his chest, starting at the scar and slowly inching up to slide along his throat, finally stopping to cup his face.

Her soft touch ignited the trail she had formed across his skin, and the heat was no longer confined in the room. Now his blood was boiling and a churning, desperate_, need_ filled him. In a split second his hands had snatched hers, pulling them away from himself but her body closer to his once more. Aqua gasped at the aggressive action, her face further flushing, but she did not resist or attempt to struggle free.

She was too lost in Terra's eyes, the earlier shame from what he assumed to have been a foolish and rash action…

Morphing into dark passion swirling in his cobalt gaze. The need in his eyes matched her own.

Whimpering, Aqua moved closer and Terra met her, their lips touching once again.

If the first kiss shattered her guard this one swept her off her feet. It was not the innocent touch from before but more of a ravenous devouring of her lips, stealing her breath and making her eyes close as her head spun. And then she realized she really had been swept off her feet, as Terra suddenly and easily lifted her into his powerful arms, though he never once broke contact with her lips as he sightlessly walked towards her bed.

The kiss finally ended as Terra gently lay her down on the soft surface of the mattress and sheets, and Aqua took a chance to breath again, panting heavily, her face burning crimson, eyes half-open and glazed.

The water maiden blinked suddenly, snapping from her stupor when she felt the bed shift and the dark form of the earth warrior loomed over her. His gaze made her shiver, eyes closing for a moment before she once more opened them, raising her hand to touch his face, her cool fingers stroking his burning flesh. His hand moved to cover hers, his thumb stroking her palm, a tender motion.

Intimate.

Terra closed his eyes, relishing the feel of her skin, so soft and fragile compared to his own. He knew her otherwise however, he knew she was not brittle or weak and she could face any challenge thrown at her…

But a part of him just wanted to hold her forever and shield her from the horrors of darkness only he knew…

No, she knew of them as well.

Like him, she had lived them.

"Aqua," he breathed softly, his eyes opening to gaze into hers.

"Terra…" she panted back.

For a brief moment both of them remembered the sound of waves over a shore…

And then he closed the distance between them once again, his lips touching hers in a gentle kiss.

The contact was soft, innocent almost, but the touch soon became hungrier, more intense as Terra felt Aqua's arms wrap around his neck, his own slipping around her waist to pull her even closer. She shook at the touch but Terra soothed her by simply stroking her hips, still protected by her shorts, though she felt his fingers skimming the edges of them, almost teasingly slipping past the bottom of her top, the rough tips skimming the edges of her flat stomach. The touch had her squirming, her thighs wriggling against each other, a strange friction building between them. Terra noticed her sudden shifting, and she could feel him smirking against her lips as if this pleased him somehow. Aqua almost huffed, but to do that would make her break away from the wonderful sensation of his lips, as she almost felt angered by his smugness-

But that thought vanished when the water maiden felt something tracing her lips and she gasped, eyes opening when she realized it was Terra's tongue, seeking in.

Her sudden intake of breath made a perfect invitation, allowing him inside her moist mouth and to stroke her own tongue, coaxing her to mimic his motions. Aqua forgot to breath and head was suddenly heavy, her eyes barely open as she shyly returned the movements. In seconds she was once more lost in the heat of the moment, both warrior an maiden moaning and panting in heady desperate intakes of breath, intoxicated by the taste and feel of each other.

For Aqua, she almost felt like crying. The touches, the kisses, the feel of Terra so close to her in such an intimate way was more than her dreams and whimsical thoughts and dreams could ever offer. She was not surprised by how fast she had surrendered to his touch, because there had always been a part of her longing for something more between them…

They had known each other for almost their entire lives…

And at some point she had felt their friendship wasn't enough.

_Does he…could he?_ She wondered desperately, too afraid to think he could possibly hare her feelings, despite what his current actions said otherwise.

Terra suddenly broke away, panting now himself, though Aqua could hardly catch her breath, only able to lie limp in his grip, though she finally remembered to blink and breath when she felt his hands shift, his rough palm stroking her face. The feel of his powerful hands touching hers so softly, carefully…

She smiled, finally opening her eyes to gaze up into his own-

And froze.

The blazing passion chilled over in sudden terror and dawning horror.

Her sudden shift of emotions both confused and frightened Terra. His grip on her face became tighter, desperate as he feared suddenly that he had done something wrong, perhaps gone too far in his actions.

"Aqua?" he asked, voice breathless now with panic. "Aqua what is it? What's wrong?"

She didn't respond immediately, just continued to stare up at him in horror.

When she finally spoke, her voice was quaking with fear.

"T-T-Terra…"

What she said next turned his burning desire into frozen horror.

"_Your eyes._"

His expression slowly matched the horror he felt, understanding dawning all to quickly.

_No, please, no,_ He thought pushing himself away from Aqua and off the bed, turning hurriedly towards the mirror attached to her dresser, desperate to see himself and prove his thoughts wrong and his fears proof-less.

He hoped to see noble and strong cobalt blue reflecting back at him…

But all he saw was burning amber flares like the center of raging fires, no trace of his true eyes visible at all in their depths.

"No…" He whispered, head shaking, unable to comprehend much less accept the truth reflected back at him. "No." He said again, voice rising. It could not be, it just could not be-

"T-Terra?" A soft, hesitant and frightened voice called.

He snapped around, making the quivering female on the bed flinch back, her hand raising towards her chest protectively, eyes glistening with tears of horror.

Terra stared at her, panting as his eyes took in her blushing form so provocatively posed…

And then true horror mixed with disgust welled inside him.

The desire, the need for her touch, to surround himself with her scent…

It was morphing, changing into burning lust.

A lust to pin her down despite her protests and claim what she had willingly been offering to him with force unneeded but desired simply for the sake of desire. A show of strength and power as he took her body, her soul…

Her heart…

And the light within it…

How badly he wanted to taint it with his touch…His darkness-

That train of thought was forcibly ended as Terra shook his head, stepping back and away from Aqua, hand over his face in a vain attempt to hide what she had already seen.

Aqua gasped, reaching towards Terra's retreating form. "Wait, Terra what's-"

"Don't!" He snapped, making her flinch once more, truly terrified now. She didn't understand what was happening but the mere sight of those eyes was enough to fill her with old memories…

And the feel of an unyielding grip on her throat.

Terra had backed away to the door, still covering his face, unable to allow his eyes and the signs of his corruption to defile Aqua with even a single look.

She stood up just as he reached the door, reaching for him desperately, her face pained and confused. "Terra please-"

"Aqua, stay away!" He roared and they were both filled with new horror. For just a moment, his voice had warped, becoming deeper, darker…

The voice of someone thought gone.

That proved to be the final straw for Terra and h turned and bolted from the room, ignoring Aqua's voice calling him. He was in the hallway moving quickly, blindingly, snatching his dry cloak off his door as he did and frantically slipping it on, desperate for something to hide his face, his eyes, the cool shadows more than enough to make their burning depths vanish, if at least temporarily. He had to force himself to keep moving even when he heard Aqua desperately call after him.

"Terra stop! Please, just tell me what's wrong-"

He whirled around, just in time to back away even further from her. The mere sight of her standing just a few feet away, pale face streaked with fresh tears, was making his heart heavy with pain…and terrible desire.

"Aqua please," He said lowly. "Just keep away from me…I-I have to go."

He had to get away to keep her safe…

Or gods help him he might do something he would _never_ be able to forgive himself for.

Again, a voice sneered in the back of his head and he stepped back, finally onto the podium that would take him down and further away from the maiden he cared so much about.

Aqua was confused and horribly afraid, badly wanting to know what was happening to Terra. When he started to sink on the podium, further away from her, she gasped in panic and made a feeble reach while calling, 'Terra, please! Don't go!"

But within seconds he was gone.

And she was alone.

Again.

Weakly, the water maiden slumped against a wall, uncaring as she slid onto the hard floor on her knees.

The only person she had left to care about, the one person she wanted above all to help and heal from his time lost in darkness…

And it seemed her light had only plunged him into their depths once more.

More tears streamed down her face and she found herself wracked by sobs, unable to find the strength to move. No matter how badly she wanted to chase after Terra and help him, she knew no way.

And then a cruel realization struck her, a lesson their master had once imparted on them.

_The closer you are to the light…the greater shadow you cast…and the greater darkness that lies in wait within it…_

In becoming Terra's light…

Had she doomed him once again to fall into darkness?

* * *

He didn't know where he was going, only caring about putting as much distance between himself and Aqua as he could. It was still raining and darker out than ever.

And all the while his mind and thoughts raged against him for 'denying' himself.

_Go back,_ his thoughts screeched.

_Comfort her!_

_Placate her…_

_Sooth her…_

_Claim her!_

_Take her!_

_Take the light she holds…_

_The warmth it offers can be ours…_

_It can be all ours…even her…only her…her light-_

"Shut up," He hissed, the rain pounding across him, failing to ease away the heat still burning through him.

But they would not.

_Devour her!_

_Ravage her!_

_She is ours! Our prize, our reward for years lost…_

_She is our light…Would you deny yourself the comfort of her arms, the salvation only she can bring you?_

He ignored the voices, forcing himself to keep moving despite nearly slipping on the stairs he was walking.

And finally, mercifully, they grew silent.

But he did not stop moving until he realized where he was.

It was a small market district over looking a square. The shops were all, of course, closed and boarded off from the rain to protect the wares still housed within them.

As Terra looked around, slowly stepping further into the district, he could finally feel the heat of his flesh fade away into relieving coolness, the sudden chill further grounding him and making the sudden lust he felt towards Aqua and that was the biggest relief, though shame soon filled him.

He had nearly lost control.

This wasn't some battle against a stronger opponent and overwhelming desire to win…

This was something worse.

He had almost…hurt, Aqua.

The thought of it was enough to make him sick.

His hand rose towards his face and he suddenly remembered.

Were they still…like _his_?

He looked towards the square, spotting a small reflecting waterfall.

He swallowed harshly, and forced himself to walk down the next set of steps and into the square, almost instantly seeing his dark reflection in the waterfall. His steps slowed, not with hesitance, but fear.

Fear that his eyes might still be that horrible shade of burning amber.

And that they would always be that color.

Finally, he was in front of the fall, his reflection shimmering with the pristine water.

His hands rose, trembling badly, but he forced them to steady as he gripped the hood over his face.

Breathing rapidly, he forced himself to take one strong inhale to steady his nerves-

And he pushed the hood away, revealing his face.

The relief was beyond measure when steely cobalt orbs gazed back at him, the amber gone as if it had simply never been.

But he was not so much a fool to think otherwise.

Staggering suddenly, a weight off his shoulders, Terra leaned forward, bracing his hand against the wall under the waterfall, his fingers submerged in icy cold water.

He frowned suddenly.

His fingers brushed over something embedded in the wall. With a little picking and prying, it slipped free from the wall easily and rested in the palm of his hand. Pulling his hand away from the icy water, Terra peered into his palm, eager for something to distract his thoughts.

To his surprise it was a piece of metal, jagged and rusted from what he assumed was from being in the wall and under the water so long.

No wait, the rust was too old looking, too worn away to have been caused by the water and that's when he noticed the area it had been in was uneven, almost smashed, almost as if something had-

Lightning struck his mind and he reeled back, unable to breath.

* * *

_He clenched his fist, the feeling of the cold, rusted armor that was his hand nothing compared to the emotions brought about by the memory igniting endless fury. Fury towards the one who stole everything from him. His shaking hand clenched into a fist, the armor squealing in protest._

_Without a word or sound he punched the wall where the fountain ran over it, smashing the concrete to pieces in an instant. People screamed and fled for their lives. He didn't even acknowledge them._

* * *

Terra gasped, stumbling forward as the feelings and sensations of the memory left him.

Had it been himself who had struck the wall? But how? He hadn't been to this world in years-

His thoughts were once more caught off abruptly as he caught his reflection once again in the waterfall.

He froze, not in horror…

But understanding.

Staring back at him was not his own reflection…

But a figure clad in rusted armor once of gold and red, the helm shattered to reveal a disturbing lack of eyes and face behind it…

But Terra would recognize the armor anywhere.

It was his.

His armor.

And once more, that voice he prayed was gone forever suddenly roared in his mind.

* * *

"_Your body submits, your heart succumbs…So why does your mind resist?"_

* * *

Everything suddenly clicked into place.

"I have been here before," he breathed, blinking once and suddenly the armor over his reflection was gone.

It all added up. This, what Yuffie had said on his first day here, the recognition in Cloud's eyes.

It made too much sense.

But why had he, or should he say his Sentiment, been here?

How had it gotten here?

Too much was still missing and he once more found himself frustrated and at a loss.

The darkness was eating away at his heart, and his memories offered no answer.

Sighing in frustration, Terra could only wonder what he could do next.

* * *

Hidden atop the rooftops, the cloaked figure watched Terra, grin ever present, even in the darkness of night and rain.

"Showtime," He declared, the dark glee in his voice barely contained.

Swinging his arm out, a dark flash of purple heralded the existence of a long sleek weapon reminiscent of a crossbow, though instead of an arrow, a dark purplish and black crystal was loaded in the stock. Crouching low, the figure took careful aim, his motions smooth and controlled.

His finger squeezed down on the trigger and the arrow fired, a 'ping' echoing through the rain.

* * *

Terra was lucky he even heard it.

Lost in his thoughts and with the sound of rain all around him, it was the brief flash that caught his attention, shortly after that he heard the strange 'ping' sound. When he looked over, he saw the crystalline shaped shot racing towards him. With a quick intake of breath, instinct kicked in and his body took over, his feet pushing against the ground to propel him in a sudden rush of speed, successfully dodging the shot as it struck the wall behind Terra, shattering instantly.

Terra almost slid to a stop but a rapid succession of 'pings' told him not too and he dashed like crazy, dodging several more shots by the skin of his teeth. Finally, he came to a stopping the center of the square, eyes rapidly darting towards the rooftops where he could just make out the blurry outline of his attacker. Gritting his teeth, in no mood for games but eager to vent his frustrations out on anything at this point, Terra shouted through the storm, "Ok, that's enough! I've seen you! Come down here, now!"

Silence, the figure making no move or sound.

And then, a chuckle pierced through the rain.

"Ask and you shall receive."

Terra blinked. That voice, where-

And then the figure was gone in a sudden flux of shadows.

Only to reappear a few feet from Terra in a rush of air and gusting shadows.

Gasping, the earth warrior jumped back, giving himself some breathing room from his enemy.

But the sniper made no aggressive moves, only standing there with his arms crossed, his face hidden under a hood, only revealing the faintest curve of a jaw. And sneering smirk on his lips.

It was then Terra realized what his assailant was wearing.

It was an identical copy of the cloak the earth warrior himself was wearing.

For some reason this greatly disturbed Terra…

But it only seemed to amuse his foe.

"Ah, man!" He exclaimed, throwing his arms up in exaggerated exasperation. "If I had known we were going to be wearing the same thing I would have rushed home to change! Ugh, nothing more annoying then running into someone wearing the same outfit, am I right?"

He spoke with an arrogant ease that grated on Terra. But what was more disturbing was how familiar this felt.

"Who are you?" Terra demanded, not in the mood to play games.

The attacker flinched back with a loud gasp, clutching his chest as if wounded. "Whaaat? You don't remember me? Terra! How can you say that?"

Terra unconsciously clenched and unclenched his fists. His opponent knew him, but Terra still couldn't recall where he could possibly have met him before. But something tugged at his memories…

The assailant chuckled suddenly, his sneer growing.

"Well, I guess I can't take it too personally. After all…"

"Coming back form the dead does tend to play havoc with one's memories."

Terra gasped sharply, eyes widening, but he quickly gained control of himself, jaw gritting down fiercely.

This man knew. And he probably knew a lot more than he was letting on.

"Gods know, it did wonders for me though," He continued, his words confusing Terra.

"Who. Are. You." Terra asked again, grounding out each word through clenched teeth.

The cloaked man sighed, shaking his head.

"Terra, Terra, Terra," He chided before returning his hidden gaze to the earth warrior, sneer ever present.

"I'm truly hurt. I thought you would have recognized me by now. I was really hoping I had left a stronger impression. After all…"

His voice darkened suddenly, though his sneer did not vanish. If anything, it looked…

Frightening.

The man suddenly reached for his hood, pulling it away to finally reveal himself.

"You certainly left a few on me."

Terra couldn't respond. Couldn't breath. And despite how hard he tried, couldn't look away.

The face staring back at him was all too familiar, the man maybe a few years older than Terra himself, his dark hair swept back, features seemingly etched with arrogance and superiority, an unshakable confidence and a knowing gleam in his eye, as if he knew something funny, something only he understood.

But there were changes.

For one, the dark brown eye now burned an all too familiar flaming amber gold.

And where there should have been his other eye was a black patch over it, and the cheek under his still good eye now had a long jagged scar across it.

But Terra was unsurprised by the presence of these wounds.

After all…

He had been the one to inflict them.

"You…" Was all Terra could force himself to say, his mind refusing to believe what his eyes were so easily seeing in front of them. "It can't be…"

The man sneered cruelly, amber eye glinting.

"As if." Was his only rebuttal. But it was all he needed to say.

Chuckling suddenly, the man clutched his chest again, sighing deeply and smiling cruelly.

"Don't you just love these kinds of reunions, Terra?" Braig, the man who had aided Master Xehanort in his quest to force Terra further down the path of darkness, asked, his sneer ever present.

"Because they warm me right to my heart. It's so good to see you again, buddy. You and I have a lot to catch up on…"

* * *

Wow, another chapter in six days?

I am on a roll!

Come on, admit it.

You all thought it was Luxord.

-shot-

Ow...

Any way...

So, it was at seven chapters Lingering Vengeance ended but I'm thinking Fading is just getting started now...

I was going to do a review response but I decided on something else.

My very first F.A.Q!

So, let's start!

Question 1: Is Ven going to be in this?

Answer: Uhh...well, that's complicated. In my mind if Ven shows up this story will turn into a KH3 story. And quite frankly I can't do one of those after Body and Soul. I just don't have it in me.

Question 2: Will Sora, Riku and Kairi show up?

Answer:...(Whispers to Org. Moogle.) Org. Moogle: Kupo. (No comment)

Question 3: Will Mickey, Donald and Goofy show up?

Answer: (Points to Question 2)

Question 4: Will Zack be in this?

Answer: Ok, now, as much as I would love to put Zack in this, I don't know how. I mean...he just DISAPPEARED. From a FEATHER. How am I supposed to work with that? ...hold on, I might be able to work with it.

Question 5:...wait there isn't one. I think.

Well, I guess that's it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter everyone. If not, my only excuse is I suck at romance.

Till next chapter.


	10. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight: The Dark…

_The faint sound of running water and the hum of machinery failed to soothe his still burning temper. Though it also failed to add to his rage. For that at least, he was grateful._

_As Terra continued his retreat into the dark under ways of Radiant Garden, he noticed as soon as the shadows touched him, as soon as he was completely hidden from the light of the sky…_

_He felt better._

_Though his outrage towards Aqua and the Master who seemed set on holding him back still burned hotly, the flames of rage ceased to spread within him. Yet another trait of darkness that was not a negative, once more beginning to prove his Master's 'absolutes' were not so absolute. More lies uncovered._

_The only person who had always been honest with him, who had told him the truth of his greatest crime, his desperate struggles to make things right, all the while safeguarding the precious light of the worlds, and finally admitting that he needed help, coming to Terra for it, trusting him with the truth…_

"_Master Xehanort…Is the only one I can still count on," Terra declared aloud to himself, just as he was arriving back at the bottom of the aqueduct. His cobalt eyes were half open, downcast in misery over Aqua's betrayal. How could she?_

_She…she was-_

"_You must be Terra?"_

_Said earth warrior blinked at the sound of his name, and the voice that broke through the silence that had been soothing him. Looking up, his eyes widening just a bit to adjust to the shadows, they narrowed once more when he spotted the owner of the voice that had broken his calm. A pair of mocking brown eyes met steely cobalts and held their gaze evenly._

_Challenging, almost it seemed._

_The man was several feet away from Terra, standing just beyond the passage that led back outside to that fountain of reverse falls. He was dressed strangely, well, strange to Terra, probably normally to the inhabitants of this world, in a uniform of a dark grey jacket with silver highlights and two rows of gold buttons, his similarly colored pants tucked into his thigh high boots and his hands and forearms were covered by white gloves. The man's black hair was slicked back, and he couldn't be a few years older then Terra himself._

_The man suddenly put his right hand on his hip, waving his left hand out as he sighed suddenly and exclaimed, "It's that old coot! He won't stop asking for you!" He ran his left hand through his hair and Terra finally noticed that the man's gloves had a strange, curled blue heart symbol engraved over the back of them, right over the forearm._

_The man continued on his strange rant, all the while making various gestures to go with his words. It was an odd spectacle._

"_I came all the way out here to get you just so he'd clam up!" He punctuated that last part with a sweep motion with both his hands._

_Eyes narrowing, his mood further darkening at the stranger's obnoxious words and gestures and in no mood to play games, Terra demanded, "What do you mean?"_

_Unfazed by neither the earth warrior's glare or his dark tone, the stranger only snorted._

"_Ha! Do I have to spell it out for ya?" He asked, his voice mocking a he spread his arms open in an over-exaggerated gesture. Raising his arm up, the man spoke again._

"_Xehanort."_

_Terra's eyes widened while the man brought his arm down suddenly, expression thoughtful._

"_Or whatever he's called."_

_The man sneered at Terra, brown eyes dark with cruelty._

"_You know, my prisoner."_

_For a moment, Terra almost bought it. This guy's sudden appearance, the fact he knew Xehanort's name…and all those weird hand gestures... served to successfully throw him off guard and he almost raced over to grab the guy by his neck and wring out Master Xehanort's location._

_But then reality brought him back, and he just scoffed a single laugh at the fool across from him._

_The man's sneer faded into an annoyed expression._

_Smirking, Terra replied with a tone almost bored, "You're apparently not a very good liar. Master Xehanort would never let himself be caught by a thug like you."_

_Thug was not the word Terra had been thinking to describe this guy, but it was much more tame compared to what he wanted to say. He was hoping his nonchalance towards the stranger's serious claim would throw him off and reveal the truth. But this guy didn't take the bait._

_Sneering back at Terra's scoff, the stranger declared, "As if!"_

_His eyes once more darkening, the stranger reiterated, "I got the old coot at my mercy! See for yourself."_

_He turned suddenly, starting towards the passage to the fountain court. He stopped just before exiting, looking over his shoulder with his hand on his hip as he called back to Terra._

"_I'm holding him underneath in the outer gardens." Then he turned completely, and even though Terra couldn't see his smug face anymore, he could still hear the sneering smirk in his voice._

"_Better show up before I lose my patience."_

_Then with a shrug, he stepped through the passage with a final call of, "Ciao."_

_Terra watched him go, at a loss. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his thoughts racing._

_There's no way it's true, he thought. Master Xehanort was a Keyblade Master, and a highly skilled and knowledgeable one at that. There was no way some two-bit weirdo fresh off the street could have captured him._

_But…_

"_No harm in looking," Terra decided, slowly starting after the stranger, towards the darkened passage and into the light of the fountain court. Besides, he had yet to visit the areas outside of the main city. At the very least he would see any remaining sites._

_And if this guy wanted to start a fight, or whatever his intentions were…_

_Terra was more than happy to oblige._

* * *

_What a fool I was…_

The rain continued to fall in torrents, the dark skies above offering no pause, no relent, with not a clap of thunder to herald a flash of lightning that might temporarily break through the darkness.

The two men stood across from each, other soaked to the bone.

One stared at the other across from himself, expression a mix of shock and disbelief, cobalt eyes wide.

The other's single amber eye was narrowed in cruel amusement, a smirk plastered all over his sneering face.

Terra's mind could not accept what his eyes were telling him was in front of him, his expression one of complete and total shock. But the truth was as simple as it was impossible.

Braig was standing in front of him.

And Terra simply didn't know what to do.

Unsurprisingly, it was the sniper himself who broke the silence.

"So are you just gonna stand there all night with your jaw hanging open? That's a good way to accidentally swallow something that might be flying by, just sayin'."

The sound of his adversary's voice was enough to snap Terra out of his stupor, and his stunned look morphed into a mask of fierce rage, jaw snapping shut in a tight grit, a single exhale escaping.

Braig just continued to sneer in the face of Terra's anger, single amber eye glinting.

"Ah, now there's that look I remember."

Braig began to pace back and forth slowly, waving his arm out and flexing his hand. "You know, Terra, most old friends would be real happy to be meeting up again after so long-"

"We're not friends," Terra snapped, his hands clenching into fists at his sides.

Braig cocked the brow of his still good eye, his sneer never wavering.

"As if!" The sniper rebutted, crossed his arms, looking away for a moment and rubbing his chin in mock thought, before slyly glancing back at Terra, sneer growing by the second.

"I seem to recall…we had been partners for at least ten years. Doesn't that make us friends?"

Terra's mask of rage shattered in an instant when he heard that.

"Ten…years?" The earth warrior breathed. More impossible revelations…

And yet even this one he could not find excuse to deny.

But ten years…Has it really been that long?

Braig chuckled darkly, spreading his arms out.

"Oh yeah! And what fun we had, just you and me!" Exclaimed the Freeshooter, amber eye narrowing.

But then his own expression fell suddenly, becoming thoughtful.

"Well," he said after a moment. "I assumed they were fun. Though, neither of us were really…feeling it, at the time."

Once more, Terra was baffled by Braig's words and could only stare at the sniper in growing confusion…

And anger.

"Talk sense!" Terra demanded, swiping his arm out, cutting through the rain.

Once again, Braig only sneered back.

Growling with fury, Terra started towards the Freeshooter, hands once again clenched into fists, right arm already being pulled back-

Pain ripped through his head.

Terra staggered mid-step; almost tripping and falling, his outstretched arm shaking, fist unclenching one finger at a time. His vision blurred, the pain becoming full-blown agony. He clutched his head, stumbling back a single step.

His gaze fell back on Braig, and of course the one-eyed man just watched, sneer ever present.

Voices echoed in his ears, but no images formed over his eyes.

* * *

"_Just give it a rest! You're Nobodies! You don't even exist! You're not sad about anything!"_

_Such a cruel boy, this 'Keyblade Master'…_

_Forcing him to once again to hear the truth, he mused, his woeful expression falling away into a mirthless smirk._

"_Ha, ha, ha. Very good. You don't miss a thing." He raised his arms out slowly, feeling the air, noting the thick tension within it._

"_I can not feel-sorrow…" He admitted, arms out, eyes half-lidded._

_They watched, grips on their weapons tightening._

"_No matter what misery befalls the worlds. No matter what you think, what you feel…"_

_His burning eyes settled on the 'chosen one'._

"…_Or how you exist!"_

_And then he thrust his arms above his head, calling his power to fill the air around them._

_It was time to teach this boy his final lesson…_

_And claim what had been stripped of him for so long…_

* * *

Terra staggered forward, still clutching his head, the throbbing lessening but not fading, the voices thankfully ceasing just as soon as they had begun. His vision began to clear, thankfully, and he could once more feel the sensation of water falling on him. Panting, Terra dropped his hand, and finally his vision returned entirely.

Allowing him to see Braig's still sneering face.

"Yep," drawled the sniper, once more rubbing his chin in mock thought. "Like I said: Coming back from the dead tends to play havoc with ones memories." He shifted his position, but did not truly approach Terra, still rubbing his chin and keeping his only eye on the earthen warrior.

Terra stood his ground as well, mouth partially open as he panted softly, head still throbbing slightly.

Braig's sneer never seemed to stop growing.

"Especially if those memories…aren't entirely yours."

Terra's fingers clenched slowly, one by one, the joints popping audibly.

"How are you here, Braig?" Terra growled, fighting his natural instincts to charge over and tear the man's other eye out with his bare hand.

The sniper chuckled again, shaking his head.

"Good question…but not the right one," Braig replied cryptically, his smirk fierce and mocking.

His anger growing by the second just from looking at the smug look on the sniper's face, Terra swept his arm out again before clenching it into a fist, temper snapping and threatening to break free from his tightly coiled leash as he roared, "Then why are you here?"

Braig chuckled once, amber eye glinting.

"And there you go. There's the right question."

The Freeshooter lowered his arms, looking away from Terra, towards the shopping plaza, his smirk finally falling. Terra raised a brow, but didn't lower his guard, even as Braig looked towards the overlook that showed the castle and the village surrounding it. Finally, the sniper returned his single eyed gaze back on Terra.

"I came to visit my old home…and boy oh boy, has it ever gone to the dogs…"

Braig's expression was still fallen and almost somber.

But then in the blink of an eye his sneer returned as he eyed Terra with a knowing glance.

"But I gotta say it looks so much better compared to the last time I was here!"

Crossing his arms, Braig's sneer grew wider, his eye narrowing darkly.

"You did a real number on this place, Terra…" He said, voice low and dark.

Terra's eyes widened and he forgot to breath.

His rage engulfed him a second later and he roared back, "That wasn't me! It was Xehanort!"

To that Braig cocked a brow and tipped his head. "As if! I could have sworn that old coot was a head shorter and more wrinkly looking than you." The cruel sneer returned and Braig held his arms out mockingly. "But whatever helps you sleep at night. Though I doubt you've been sleeping very well."

How much did this man know, and how much wasn't he revealing, Terra wondered, cobalts narrowing into furious slits, hands clenching and unclenching rapidly.

Braig lowered his left arm, keeping his right extended out, hand held flat in an almost invitation like gesture.

"So yeah, like I was saying, I dropped by to pay the old place a visit, see how things were…" His amber eye widened and narrowed again, Braig's expression becoming fierce and excited.

"And imagine my surprise…when I find you."

And the obvious suddenly became all too apparent.

"So, that's what this is about," Terra realized, eyes lowering for a moment before returning to Braig's single amber flare. "You just want to settle old scores, is that right?"

He should have figured, it was too obvious…

Braig blinked, appearing truly surprised. Then he tossed his head back and laughed, running his outstretched hand through his dripping hair, eye closed.

Terra watched silently, never lowering his clenched fists.

Braig finally returned his amber eye back on Terra, smirk returned, though no longer mocking and cruel, but amused and good-natured.

"Oh as if, Terra! Do you really think I'm the type of guy to hold onto grudges? That was ten years ago! Bygones, are bygones…I am happy to say…I've forgiven you," Braig proclaimed, waving his arm out, still smiling.

Purple light flashed around his outstretched hand and the Freeshooter thrust his arm out, revealing his weapon of choice, though it was not the familiar cross bow Terra had seen him wielding ten years ago. This weapon was shaped differently, almost diamond like with curved edges, several diamond shaped arrows attached to the stock of the handle, and the one stocked arrow had a triangle shaped blade protruding under it. Braig's good-natured smile morphed into a dangerous sneer.

"But my blind eye and cheek are still pretty ticked off!"

And with that he opened fire, getting off two shots.

Terra saw the cheap opening a mile away and was more than prepared to duck under the first shots of glowing diamond projectiles that were all too familiar, though these didn't glow pink or violet like the ones from all those years ago, but a dark blend of purple and black. Dashing through the rain towards his opponent, Terra pulled his right arm back, fist clenched tighter than ever as he cleared the distance in moments, and his arm shot out, his uppercut mere centimeters away from Braig's sneering face-

And the Freeshooter vanished in a burst of dark purple and ripple of shadows.

Terra blinked, straightening up instantly and looking around wildly. It was only then he remembered that years ago Braig had warped around their battleground, dodging Terra's strikes before shooting from afar in an attempt to take the earth warrior out from afar without injuring himself in a real fight. So naturally, he would teleport somewhere high and was probably aiming now, Terra concluded, looking towards the rooftops, scanning for shifting shadows of movement-

The air rippled behind him and a strange noise echoed closely, causing Terra to whirl around-

And meet a boot to the face as Braig completed his high roundhouse kick.

Terra was completely caught off guard by the attack and sent flying across the plaza, hitting a wall and hitting it hard, rain splashing from all directions and several spots becoming dislodged. And not just in the wall. Braig sneered cruelly as he watched Terra crumple onto his knees, barely supporting himself with one hand while the other rested atop his kneecap.

"First rule of fighting a teleporter," Braig mockingly called, causing Terra to slowly look up, blood running down the corner of his jaw thickly, cobalts narrowed in a well matched mixture of pain and rage as they met the single amber flare of his enemy. "Hit him where he's going to be," continued the Freeshooter, sneer growing once again.

"Not where he is."

Clenching his fist tightly, feeling his cold palm begin to warm and burn, Terra thrust his arm back and then out, his hand exploding and releasing a ball of burning red flames. Unimpressed, Braig shoved his arm that held his arrowgun out and fired a single shot. The arrow met the fireball and both destroyed each other in an explosion of orange and dark purple sparks.

"Really, Terra?" Asked the disappointed sounding sniper, lowering his arrowgun with a twirl, and narrowing his only eye as he attempted to peer through the slight haze of smoke and mist created by the intercepted fireball. "A Fire spell in the middle of a rainstorm?" Continued Braig, shaking his head, and closing his eye for a split second.

"You've made some stupid mistakes and choices but that one's up there with your top fi-"

Braig's eye opened just in time to catch Terra's fist collide with the side of his face, interrupting him and silencing him instantaneously. The silenced Freeshooter staggered back, dazed more than pained, giving Terra more than a perfect opening to smash his elbow into the sniper's gut and then bring his knee up in a vicious strike to the jaw that sent Braig stumbling further back. Terra pulled back, fists still raised, more than ready to pummel Braig some more.

The Freeshooter shook his head, absentmindedly rubbing his chest and then his jaw with his free hand. Then he turned his single eye back on Terra, a fierce grin appearing. His amber eye burned brightly.

"Now that's more a like it…" Braig murmured darkly.

With that, he swung his empty hand out, a flash of dark light heralding his second arrowgun, identical to the first one. Terra braced himself, more than ready to start moving if Braig opened fire, and as soon as the Freeshooter ran out of ammo, Terra would have his opening to show this arrogant punk REAL pain. But Braig didn't open fire; instead he moved his arrowguns closer together, and there was another flash of light as the two weapons touched.

When the light faded, where there had been two there was now one long rifle shaped arrowgun. The barrel had lengthened considerably, with the diamond stock handle now sticking out from the side. With a final narrowed glare and sneer, Braig vanished in a ripple of shadows and dark burst of purple. Blinking and looking around, Terra snapped his eyes up towards the rooftops once again, recognizing this tactic instantly.

"I can see you!" Braig's voice called from the shadows, just as mocking and taunting as it had been ten years ago.

And then came a burst of rapid fire from the rooftops, five glowing dark diamond shaped arrows one after another. Kicking his feet against the slippery ground, Terra dashed through the rain, avoiding each shot by the literal tail of his coat, feeling and hearing but not seeing each shot explode one after another as they struck the ground where Terra had been and exploded, sending magical shrapnel propelling through the air. It was around this time Terra found himself really missing his sword, remembering that Braig's shots could be deflected back at him. But this wasn't the time to bemoan his lack of weapon.

He had to stay focused.

Terra came to a skidding halt, looking wildly up at the rooftops, trying to find his adversary.

But of course Braig just made another entrance.

This time he appeared right beside Terra, thrusting his empty fist out to strike the earth warrior on his side, jabbing hard into his ribs. Terra cried out in pain and threw a wild punch out, but Braig easily ducked under it and unleashed two more strong punches into Terra's chest, forcing him back and leaving him winded and open, allowing Braig to deliver a devastating uppercut, his hand surrounded by a dark aura. Terra screamed in pain as he was thrown into the air, but the fun didn't stop there, as Braig warped over Terra and delivered a spin kick with his right leg closely followed by the whipping end of his cloak, knocking Terra back down just as hard as he had knocked him high.

Terra bounced as he crashed down before sliding for several seconds across the slippery ground. Coughing harshly, spitting fresh blood, Terra found himself forcing his head up to maintain his enraged glare on Braig, and further fueling the flames of his rage, the Freeshooter still wore that sneer on his face as he calmly stalked towards Terra.

"You know, Terra," drawled Braig, amber eye glinting with dark mirth and mock. "For a Keyblade Master, you weren't very good. But for a hand to hand fighter, you're even…" He trailed off, scratching the back of his head. "Ah, what's the word?" He snapped his fingers suddenly, grin returning.

"Worse." He chuckled again, while Terra could only glower and rage as he forced himself back onto his feet, clutching his chest and wiping the blood away from his mouth.

"I don't need the Keyblade to beat you…" Terra growled, once more raising his fists.

To his surprise, Braig's sneer finally fell away, becoming the anger that burned in his amber eye.

"As if. That's not how it looks from my point of view," snarled the Freeshooter.

Braig suddenly waved his arm out in an aggressive motion, his anger now free and not going away anytime soon.

"That's what I hate the most about you, Terra!" Raged the one-eyed sniper, thrusting his arm out and pointing at the earthen warrior.

"You had held in your hands the most powerful weapon this world and any others have ever seen…" Braig's eye widened in further fury and he swept his arm out as he spat infuriated, "And you treated it with such levity!"

Terra glared back at Braig, his eyes filled with a mixture of contempt…and something almost like pity.

"To wield a Keyblade is the highest honor," Terra responded evenly, his anger soothing over slowly.

"You can't just use it however you please," went on the earth warrior, raising and clenching his fist tightly before lowering it quickly.

"It must be used to uphold the order and stability of the worlds! It's a weapon, yes, but one of peace! Not destruction!"

These words were not Terra's own… but his master's…

How he thought he'd never hear them again.

Braig stared at Terra in silence, amber eye burning with hate and loathing of untold magnitude.

And then he tossed his head back and burst out laughing, filling the air with his mocking cackle.

Terra's eyes narrowed. He was getting very tired of hearing that laugh…

Braig returned his single eyed gaze to Terra, the burning amber orb narrowed in contempt.

"Peace? Order? As if! Look around, Terra!" He exclaimed, spreading his arms out and spinning in place, his sneer wider than ever.

"If you're a peace keeper, you've done a very terrible job."

Terra's eyes widened and his face became completely blank.

Now someone else's voice echoed in his head…

Not the voice of the man he so loathed…

But someone just as close.

Someone…who had awoken the darkness in his heart…

* * *

"_Hmph," she scoffed, her yellow eyes watching his with a mixture of disappointment and disgust. She stroked her chin thoughtfully, grip on her scepter tightening._

"_For a peacekeeper," she said, voice cruel and powerful._

"_You're off to an exceptionally poor start."_

* * *

Rage boiled over, consuming him in a never ceasing geyser of fury. It seemed no matte what, he would constantly be struck in the face by the knowledge of Xehanort's crimes at his own hands and the sins he would be forced to bear. Terra's shaking hands tightened into fists once more, his brown locks falling over his eyes, hiding them, but failing to hide his grinding jaw, his canines seemingly more pronounced then usual. Braig watched curiously, a brow cocked and his sneer ever present. Then Terra looked back up at the Freeshooter, meeting his single gaze.

Dark cobalt struggled against rising tides of burning amber. Black tendrils of darkness rose off of his shoulders and shaking arms, and with a furious scream, Terra charged forward in a burst of blinding speed, the smoking aura trailing off him in streams of black, silver and dark blue. Braig only had a single chance to blink before Terra's fist collided with his face once again, though the strength behind this blow was more monstrous than the first. Braig was knocked back off of his feet, his shout of pain dying on his lips as the breath was knocked out of him by Terra's second blow, an elbow drop to the sniper's midsection that sent him crashing on the ground just as quickly as he had been knocked into the air.

Not giving his enemy a single chance, Terra pulled his arm back, fingers clenching into claws as black flames gathered in his palm. With a roar of pure rage, he thrust his hand into Braig's chest as the Freeshooter staggered back to his feet, and sent him flying across the plaza, striking the waterfall fountain and sending more water splashing across the already soaked ground.

And finally, a crack of thunder tore the silence of the night.

Panting, practically snarling really, Terra flexed his hand again, more dark power gathering in his open palm, beginning to glow with a faint silver and purplish light. He advanced towards Braig, eager to rip the man's remaining eye out. The sniper chuckled lowly, weakling as he staggered back up, before looking back at Terra, sneer ever present, amber eye wide with glee.

"I guess you and me are cut from a closer cloth then I thought…" Mused the Freeshooter, rubbing the skin under his…

Amber eye.

That was more than enough to snap Terra out of his murderous rage.

Just in time, as he had stepped close enough to catch his reflection in the waterfall, and he saw his eyes once more consumed by amber fires, the dark blue of his true eyes struggling against their flames. Gasping, he stumbled back, right hand over is face, his left clutching his chest as he willed the dark fires within to subside. Braig watched curiously, truly curious, confused by the ceasefire of Terra's attacks.

"What's wrong?" Asked the sniper, his curiosity quickly morphing into annoyance. "Come on!" He demanded, spreading his arms out as he exclaimed, "Things were just getting good!"

Terra didn't respond, just took another step back, struggling to fight the darkness and the rage that only seemed to fuel and grow stronger off each other. He couldn't give in, not because of this guy. Braig scowled, lowering his left arm while sweeping his right out, summoning one of his arrowguns in a dark flash before leveling it at Terra's chest.

"Maybe you just need a reminder of the situation," wondered the Freeshooter aloud before grinning viciously and squeezing the trigger three times.

Terra was struck in the chest by all three shots, crying out in pain as the first two struck his chest and exploded in magical shrapnel, before screaming in pain as the last sent him falling flat on his back. Coughing, blood splattering, Terra managed to give Braig a weak glare, his eyes once more their proud cobalt blue. Seeing this made the sniper scowl again, balancing his arm that held his arrowgun across his shoulder.

"Gods, you just keep giving me reasons to dislike you, don't you Terra?" Braig asked rhetorically. Terra didn't bother with a response, only rising back on his feet, clutching his bleeding chest.

Braig's scowl deepened still. "You frivolled away your time with the Keyblade, and now you're resisting the darkness in your heart? Why? Without either…" He lowered his arrowgun, his sneer finally returning, amber eye darkening as well.

"You're less than nothing."

Terra's eyes narrowed, but he refused to take the bait.

"Then what does that make you?" He shot back at the Freeshooter.

That wiped the sneer of his face, greatly pleasing Terra and making him smile as Braig scowled again.

But Terra's smile fell as Braig suddenly leveled his arm out, pointing his arrowgun back at the earth warrior.

Terra tensed, bracing himself to move for when Braig opened fire.

But the Freeshooter never ceased to catch him off guard.

Braig let his arrowgun level out, before dispelling it in a burst of dark light.

"I'm bored," proclaimed the sniper.

Terra blinked, flabbergasted.

"W-what?" He spluttered.

Braig only scowled again. "What are you, deaf and dumb?" He exclaimed with a swipe of his arm. "I'm bored! You're boring me!"

And with that, Braig turned, starting towards the steps into the upper level of the shopping district, leaving Terra completely dumbfounded. Composing himself, and uttering a fierce growl, Terra charged after Braig, shouting, "No! You don't walk away!"

The Freeshooter glanced over his shoulder, pausing mid-step just in time to see Terra's fist fast approaching his still good eye-

But failing to connect as Braig vanished in a flash of dark violet and a ripple of shadows. Terra skidded to a stop, looking around wildly for his displaced foe. He didn't have to look far, quickly spotting Braig leaning on the brick wall that divided the lower plaza and the shopping district.

"Yeah, I can just teleport if I felt like it," replied Braig nonchalantly, sneer restored.

Terra glared at Braig, fingers flexing anxiously at his sides, jaw grinding. "So that's it?" He called, not moving, not wanting to risk Braig warping off to parts unknown to lick his wounds before he struck again at full strength.

"Just going to pick a fight and leave?" Braig chuckled once, practically snorted.

Terra sneered right back at him. "Too scared I'll beat you again?"

He was hoping Braig would take the bait and lose his cool. But the Freeshooter just kept on smirking, shaking his head as he laughed at Terra's words. His single eye met both of Terra's, his sneer wider than ever.

"Oh please. I haven't even shown you half of what I'm capable of now, Terra, and in the state your in, you wouldn't stand a chance against me."

Terra's eyes narrowed and he spat, "I'm pretty sure I was holding my own just fine a few moments ago."

Braig just waved his words off. "As if! The only reason you even got me was because for just a moment, you gave in to the darkness…"

To that, Terra could say nothing, only avert his gaze and clench his fist tightly.

Braig chuckled loudly, before letting his dark mirth fade back into annoyance.

"But then you had to go and suppress it! Really Terra? You're just annoying me now." Standing up, Braig waved his arm out before he went on ranting, "You don't have the Keyblade anymore, and you're still fighting your darkness, even though there's just really no point anymore, wouldn't you agree? It's time to give in, Terra!"

His scowl once more became a sneer.

"Otherwise, you can't play the game. And believe me, without either the Keyblade or the power of darkness…you can't play to win."

Terra raised his shaking fist, glaring at Braig with renewed fury at the way Braig was treating the situation. "This is not a game," Terra snarled. "And I told you…I don't need the Keyblade to beat you." Eyes widening, expression consumed with outrage, Terra swiped his hand out and proclaimed, "And I will never give into the darkness again!"

Braig just laughed at his words again. "Like I said," drawled the Freeshooter, and he pointed at the patch over his eye.

"That's not how it looks from my point of view."

Terra could only glower and rage, wanting nothing more than to turn, charge up the steps and barrel down on Braig, beat him to an inch of his life and be done with him forever.

The sniper suddenly looked away, cruel sneer turning into a thoughtful expression.

"You know, as fun as this has been, Terra," he said, his only eye hidden as h turned his head suddenly, looking towards the village district. "And as glad as I was to find you here…I'm not exactly sticking around this old place just for the sights. Because, I mean come on!" He spread his arms out and laughed cruelly.

"What's left to see?"

Terra said nothing, just glared up at the clearly mad sniper.

Braig lowered his arms, grin widening, eye still hidden by the position of his gaze.

"But I can't waste all my time with you…" He paused. And Terra suddenly found himself very anxious. He had no idea where Braig was going with this…

And that was not good.

"So, tell me, Terra," Braig said, finally turning to look back at Terra.

And the gleam in his amber eye was terrible.

"How has Aqua been?"

Terra couldn't breath. His blood ran cold and his whole body froze with it. All he could do was stare at Braig in shocked silence.

The Freeshooter's sneer widened and he chuckled darkly once again.

"Now, as surprised and happy as I was to see you…you can't begin to imagine the look on my face when I saw her, standing right next to you…"

Terra tried to say something, to scream and rage at this one-eyed freak that Aqua was not involved in this. But all he could do was swallow several heavy breaths, his grip on his chest tightening as his heart gave a sudden and painful lurch. His rage was cooling into fear.

Fear at the thought of Braig hurting her…

The sniper rubbed his chin again, sneer growing as he watched Terra's reaction to his words.

"As happy as I am to have found you Terra…I really don't to waste all my time with these pointless battles, especially if you're not going to go all out." Braig chuckled, amber eye narrowing cruelly. "But Aqua…Aqua still has her Keyblade, unlike you and as I recall she knows a mean spell or two…so if you won't play the game…"

Braig's sneer became an insane leer, his amber eye flashing as the sky overhead roared with thunder and lightning flashed a second time.

"I think she'd be more than willing to, don't you think?"

Fear melted into fury, and the hand over Terra's chest burned. Murderous rage flashed in Terra's eyes, dark cobalt briefly becoming bright amber. Black smoke wafted from his hand as it continued to burn hotly.

"This…is between… US!" Rasped and raved Terra through clenched teeth, the smoke around his hand thickening before erupting into black flames as he thrust is arm out, the dark fireball forming completely before it launched straight at Braig. The Freeshooter smirked as he watched the lethal flame shoot towards him, though he didn't bother to even attempt at dodging.

In the split-second before the fireball collided with Braig's sneering face-

He vanished in a ripple of darkness and burst of dark purple.

Terra gasped, his eyes once more returning to their normal color as he looked wildly around. "Braig!" He called, whirling in place, ignoring the icy chill of the rain. Or was it fear?

"Braig!" He called again, looking towards the rooftops.

"Show yourself!" Demanded Terra, swiping his right hand out, his palm still smoking with darkness.

Silence, the only sounds Terra's deep panting and the soft splash of rain in puddles.

But then…

Laughter.

High and mocking.

Terra looked around, eyes darting from one corner of shadows to the next, all the while searching for the source of the laughter.

But he could not find his foe.

The laughter trailed off, becoming deep chuckles.

And then all became silent and still.

Terra stood there, eyes widening with horror.

"Aqua…" He breathed.

And then he ran.

He pushed the pain of his new injuries aside and focused all of his strength into his legs as he raced through the shopping district and in the next moment he was back in the alleyway of the homes. As he ran, Terra forced himself not to acknowledge the fact that Braig was most likely already there. And Terra couldn't absolutely could not, bare the thought of Aqua facing him alone…

Pushing aside all thoughts, Terra forced himself to move faster than he thought possible for himself, running through the rain and under the dark clouds of the sky, once more free of the fleeting flashes of lightning that broke through them.

* * *

She didn't know how long he was gone.

It could have been anywhere between a few minutes to several hours.

But it didn't matter either way.

For Aqua, every second that Terra was gone, and suffering from whatever darkness that still lingered in his heart…

It was painful.

She had wanted to follow him, to help him somehow, to know what was wrong and why he suddenly wanted to b away from her when only moments before he had held her in his arms and kissed her with such desire…

But she hadn't.

She didn't follow him.

Instead she had stumbled back into her room and collapsed on her bed, tears gathering in her eyes before spilling down her cheeks. She didn't truly cry though, holding in her sobs, forcing them down. She felt pathetic, reduced to a crying mess while Terra suffered somewhere in the rain, his heart and soul being crushed by the darkness inside him…

Darkness, Aqua feared she had inadvertently freed.

The water maiden simply couldn't let the idea that in her trying to become Terra's light and guide him the haze of darkness cast over him by Xehanort's years of heinous crimes in the earth warrior's own body, that she had only made things worse.

For even though light could cast out the darkness…

It could not be destroyed, only reduced to shadows.

And sometimes the darkness in the shadows was the deepest there was.

Aqua didn't hear the faint, soft sound of something scratching gently on wood, but she did catch a slight whiff of ozone. Blinking she looked up, her sapphire eyes still teary and her beautiful face filled with melancholy. Her deep sadness faded just a bit, a small smile gracing her lips when she spotted Stitch and Sparky nervously watching her, the blue alien hiding around the corner of her door while the yellow floated above him, faintly crackling with a few yellow sparks. Both were staring at her with big, concerned eyes.

Sniffling, Aqua wiped her cheeks clear of tears before smiling at the two aliens again, hoping to ease their concerns.

But they continued to stare at her with such worry.

"Ah-koo, wah? What wrong?" Stitch asked softly. Sparky seemed to be trying to ask the same thing, but could only let out a buzzing growl.

Aqua shook her head, forcing her smile on her face before replying, "It's nothing, Stitch. I promise."

But it seemed the blue furball was not so easily fooled. Crouching on all fours, he slowly wandered into Aqua's room before crawling onto her bed, right next to the water maiden, Sparky following closely, still floating just a few feet above his cousin and Aqua. Stitch gently nuzzled Aqua against her neck, right under her chin, and Aqua sniffed again, fighting back another sob as she gently stroked Stitch's blue fur, more than grateful for his comfort.

"Ah-koo, wah…no cry," whimpered Stitch softly, and that simple plea sadly had the opposite effect and Aqua hugged Stitch close to herself, the tears falling entirely and without restraint, soft sobs slipping past her lips.

Sparky watched silently, blue eyes narrowed sadly, small crackles occasionally emitting from his tail.

But suddenly, the yellow experiment jerked his head towards the door, blue eyes widening, his nose flaring. And then he let loose a low growl, small paws curling threateningly. He began to float back towards the door, his electric tail flashing and crackling erratically.

The sudden growling caught Stitch's attention and turned towards his cousin, nostrils flaring as well. Aqua blinked, teary eyes confused as Stitch suddenly growled as well, fur bristling, ears lowering. The blue alien pulled away from Aqua's arms and quickly jumped onto the floor, claws digging into the wood as he continued to growl, his spike like spines slowly rising from his back along with his antennas. Aqua gasped and blinked, very confused by the aliens sudden behavior.

"Stitch? Sparky? What's wrong?" She asked, concerned, and maybe just a bit frightened.

Stitch growled lowly while Sparky buzzed, electricity arcing up his own antennas. Stitch glanced back at Aqua and replied from over his shoulder, "Bad smell…"

Aqua didn't understand, only stared at the two cousins in confusion before glancing at the door to the hallway they were entering. Slowly, she stood up and began to follow them. As she began to move, the two suddenly picked up their pace, scrambling into the hallway ahead of her and glaring at something she couldn't see.

Stepping after them, she peered down in the hall after them.

The end of the hallway that led into Merlin's study and the library…

The shadows seemed very deep suddenly.

Much deeper.

Her left hand clutched at her chest, and Aqua inhaled slowly as she lowered her right hand, gently flexing her fingers open, a single ethereal pink petal dancing between them. Stitch and Sparky growled low in unison. The shadows seemed to grow even deeper, if that were possible.

In their depths, a brief flash of amber could be seen…

"Aqua!"

The water maiden gasped, whirling around towards the sound of the voice…

His voice…

And she saw Terra scrambling up the podium even before it had completed its ascent, running towards her, gasping breathlessly.

"Terra…" she breathed, completely forgetting the growing shadows behind her and taking a shaking step towards the earth warrior as he rushed towards her.

Terra was by her in seconds, his rough hands brushing over her exposed arms, cobalt eyes full of worry, concern…and fear?

"Are you alright?" He asked, panting softly, clearly out of breath, as if he had raced back here in a great hurry, but for what for, Aqua wondered.

"You're not hurt are you? Please tell me he hasn't touched you…" Terra went on, his concern and worry in his eyes growing by the second, though his last words were practically spat out, the fury unmistakable.

Aqua was at a complete loss, blinking in both confusion and to hold back fresh tears. "Terra, w-what? I don't understand, what's"

Her soft voice was interrupted and over cast by a new voice interjecting loudly over her own.

"Well, hello there, Aqua…"

Said water maiden blinked in shock while Terra looked over her, glaring at something (No, someone) over her, in the shadows of the hall while Stitch and Sparky growled loudly. Terra gently pushed Aqua's smaller form behind his larger frame, a protective motion all the while he moved ahead of her, keeping her safe behind him. But as he did this, Aqua could still see towards the end of the hall…

And the owner of the voice as he emerged from the shadows.

Though as he did, the hallway suddenly seemed to brighten…

As if he was taking the shadows with him.

Aqua blinked, staring at the man, shocked when she realized the stranger was wearing the exact same black leather cloak that Terra wore. But this shock was nothing compared to seeing his face when he completely stepped into the light. "Y-you…" She gasped, her face paling, while Terra only gave a vicious snarl, a sound more fierce then Stitch and Sparky's own growls.

An arrogant face with a mocking sneer plastered all over it, a single long scar running across his left cheek, his left eye a hideous and terribly familiar amber flare while his right was hidden by a black patch, greasy dark hair slicked back down to his neck.

Braig chuckled lowly, slowly crossing his arms and taking a few steps towards the warrior and maiden, pausing and glancing at the snarling aliens. Still sneering, Braig returned his gaze to Terra and Aqua, smirk widening. "Cute pets," he said, eye full of mockery.

Neither Terra or Aqua replied, the warrior glaring while the maiden just stared in complete shock.

"I gotta say," He drawled, his single eye looking Aqua up and down, lingering just a bit longer on her exposed legs. "You haven't aged a day. You look just as good as you did ten years ago, in the Graveyard…"

Aqua found herself at a complete loss, memories of that day briefly flashing in her mind as she recalled his mocking sneer and goading words. Her face flushed in sudden humiliation as Braig laughed lewdly and said, "Though I definitely prefer this sight of you instead of that clunky armor!" Aqua averted her gaze while Braig continued to laugh and Terra growled again, pushing her further behind him to hide her from his terrible eye.

"I told you," Terra ground each word out from between clenched teeth, his right hand clenching into a fist so tight his joints cracked threateningly before he roared enraged, "This is between us! You leave Aqua out of this!"

The water maiden flinched, stunned by the ferocity of Terra's words.

But Braig only tossed his head back and laughed, arms spread out.

He sneered at Terra, 'tsking'.

"Oh, but Terra that's just not fair, to any of us! I just can't ignore Aqua and spend all my time with you, after all, you two are some of my closest friends, although…" Braig's sneer turned into a sly smirk. "You two looked like you were having a little moment on the balcony at the castle…"

Terra honestly hadn't thought Braig could push the limits of his rage the way he was, but it seemed he knew every button to push.

Clenched fist shaking, Terra snapped, "This ends, right here, right now!"

But to those bold and furious words, Braig only chuckled and shook his head.

"As if, Terra," Braig replied, amber eye glinting.

But then, the Freeshooter turned suddenly, glancing at the snarling aliens before returning his only eye to Terra, his lips curved in a dangerous smirk.

"Since you two decided to become a happy little couple, I find myself having to divide my time between you two a little more carefully…and the night's late, so…" He gave a small off hand wave.

"Ciao."

Terra wasn't having any of that though. With a furious shout, he charged forward, past Stitch and Sparky and ignored Aqua's cry of his name, his fist drawn back and thrusting out to connect with Braig's sneering face. But once again, the Freeshooter simply vanished in a ripple of shadows and burst of dark violet. The sniper reappeared at the end of the corridor, wagging his finger in mocking disproval.

"Ah, ah…" chided Braig, before chuckling again. Then, he flicked his wrist, and the shadows that had filled the hallway slithered towards him and behind him, expanding into an oval of flowing darkness that engulfed Braig. Smoking tendrils wrapped around Braig, pulling him deeper into the miasma.

Terra could only watch in frustration as Braig slowly vanished.

But just before the Freeshooter disappeared completely, he tapped his eye patch, sneer wider than ever.

"Remember," he called to them, tauntingly.

"I've got my eye on the both of you."

Braig's mocking laughter filled the small corridor and echoed all around Terra and Aqua, before cutting off entirely as the flowing darkness devoured him whole and collapsed in on itself.

Silence, save for the fading growls of Stitch and Sparky, and Terra's enraged breaths.

"Bad man…" Snarled Stitch, while Sparky growled in agreement.

"Very bad man," Terra whispered, more than to himself than in response to Stitch.

The brunette turned to the shaking bluenette, and saw Aqua was now clutching her chest with both hands, and he noted with concern how pale she was.

"T-Terra," she breathed, finally looking up at him, and he noted how watery her sapphire eyes were, and the dried tears on her cheeks.

"That…that man…that was…He was there, that day in the Keyblade Graveyard…"

Terra frowned at that, looking at Aqua curiously.

She took this as a sign to go on. "He…he tried to get me to…" She suddenly averted her gaze, shame filling her beautiful eyes, and for a brief and terrible moment Terra assumed something truly terrible.

But then she said, "He tried to convince me to fight you…to avenge Master Eraqus…"

To that, Terra said nothing.

Stitch and Sparky watched the two curiously, Stitch keeping his ears low as a soft whine rumbled from the back of his throat.

Aqua forced herself to look back up at Terra as the earth warrior slowly approached her, his movements almost cautious. "Terra," she said, eyes filled with concern and worry.

"Why is he here? What does he want with us?"

Terra didn't respond at first, just sighed deeply, and reached up to stroke a stray lock of her hair aside from her face.

"I…I don't know," He whispered softly.

It wasn't the truth, but it also wasn't a lie.

He didn't know Braig's true reasons, but Terra could assume rather easily.

Revenge for the injuries he had suffered at Terra's hands…

Or maybe he wanted to finish what Xehanort had started…

Before Terra could give it anymore thought, a sudden noise interrupted the silence, quickly followed by a rush of air filled with bright pink and blue mist filled the hallway, surprising everyone, though Stitch and Sparky squealed in particular shock, the blue alien scrambling closer to Terra and Aqua while the yellow floated just out of reach from the dust. Terra blinked, waving away the dust before he heard coughing from the center of the mist. "Cough, cough…oh my…I'm still using too much magic on that…"

A well polished voice mumbled, and as the dust finally began to fade away, Terra and Aqua saw the familiar blue robs, pointed hate and long beard of Merlin, the wizard likewise waving his hand to disperse the few remaining particles of magical dust away before adjusting his spectacles, blinking once when he spotted Terra and Aqua. "Well, I must say, this is a pleasant surprise!" Exclaimed the great wizard before smiling at the two.

He walked closer to the two, still speaking. "I was expecting you two to be in bed by now, the hour is late, but it's so very nice to be greeted by the two of you! Unfortunately, I can't rivet you with tales of my trip to visit my young ward until the morn…ing…" Merlin trailed off slowly, eyes narrowing when he saw the expressions of woe shared by both as well as the sad dispositions of Stitch and Sparky.

"I say," proclaimed Merlin as he adjusted his spectacles once again.

"Have I missed something?"

* * *

The morning after the night's storm was truly a beautiful one.

The hue of the sky was closer to a dark blue, missing the tinge of purple that always filtered through it. The air was cleaner, easier to breathe in, if not just a bit humid. But all was still and peaceful.

It was going to be a good day.

A series of piercing, hacking coughs disrupted said peace.

Cid hunched over, stopping mid-step and causing Leon to pause and turn around, watching the older man slap his chest, grunting and inhaling sharply.

"Got-dang it," He muttered, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his box of toothpicks, popping a fresh one in his mouth. "I hate when it rains, dang humidity, can't breathe…"

Leon waited for Cid to catch up with him, both of them standing by the archway that led from the shopping district back into the alleyways, before he resumed walking, Cid once more keeping stride, the occasional cough slipping past his lips.

"It's your own fault you know," Leon said suddenly, before the turned the corner to Merlin's cottage.

The former pilot grunted, chewing his pick tightly.

"Yeah, I know, but I quit didn't I? Figured you guys need me 'round little longer."

Leon offered a rare smirk. "Not by choice."

Cid cocked a brow, scowling at the younger man.

"I liked you better when you were an angsty brooder who never talked…"

To that, the leather clad chuckled softly.

Cid's lips curved into a rare smile.

"Though, I gotta say, I've kinda gotten use to seeing you brighten up."

That was about as close to a compliment from Cid as Leon was ever going to get, but he'd take it.

"I've had a few reasons to smile as of late, "Leon said, hand resting on the hilt of his sheathed gunblade. Cid nodded, sighing deeply and adjusting his waistband. "Yep," breathed the mechanic. "Lots a good things happening…got Claymore running again, the falls are back on…"

Cid chuckled suddenly, slyly glancing at Leon as they were about to arrive at Merlin's.

"I know this is probably gonna tick you off, but I kinda think we owe both of those to the new guy…"

Almost instantly, Leon's smile vanished into an annoyed scowl. Cid sighed, rubbing the back of his head, adjusting his goggles a bit. "Jeez, c'mon Leon, what's your beef with that kid?"

Leon's grip on his gunblade tightened unconsciously. He didn't respond for several moments, but then sighed heavily suddenly. "I just…"He started, before sighing again.

"There's something about him that I just…I can't trust."

Cid sighed in aggravation. "Jeez, loosen up kid. You keep this up, all this stress is gonna shorten your-"

Cid stopped mid-sentence as he and Leon finally turned the corner and arrived in front of Merlin's cottage. They both stopped dead when they saw Terra waiting by the door. And held reversed in his right hand was the sword Cloud had given him.

"…life," Finished Cid lamely, toothpick drooping now. Leon said nothing, though his scowl deepened and his grip on his gunblade tightened once again, the weapon rising from the sheath on his tip an inch or two. At the sound of both Cid's voice and the slight scrape of metal on leather, Terra's head rose and his gaze fell on the two men.

Both Cid and Leon were surprised by how rough Terra looked.

His face was very pale, and his hair seemed shorter, the few remaining spikes drooping weakly, and there were dark rings under his bloodshot eyes.

The earth warrior started to approach the mechanic and gunblade slinger.

Cid hastily stepped away from Leon, who stood his ground, while saying, "Well, I think I'll let you two hash this out." And he started past Terra, he mumbled, "Man I hope Aerith's here, I could go for some of her great cookin'…"

But he hadn't made it halfway to the threshold of the door when Terra muttered to him, "She's not…"

That stopped Cid once again and he threw up his arms, sighing shortly. "Well dang," he muttered, flicking his pick with one hand while resting the other on his hip as he turned back towards the two younger men. "And Merlin ain't here…eh," He shrugged, smirking. "That's kind of a blessing really, his cooking is terrible."

"Actually-" Terra started to say but the front door of Merlin's cottage swung open and a tea kettle was flung through the air, swiftly colliding with the back of Cid's head. The ex-pilot let out a short bark of pain, instantly clutching at his suddenly aching head before whirling around, spotting a glaring Merlin who closed the door sharply with but a flick of his wand. Growling in rage and pain, Cid spat, "Man, I just don't like him…"

Neither Terra or Leon had paid any attention to the short scuffle of magical tea kettle and former pilot's skull. Leon had kept his icy blue eyes locked on Terra and his grip on his gunblade tight, while the other man averted his bloodshot cobalts, staring at the ground pensively, grip on his own sword loose. Finally, Terra spoke, but still did not look at Leon. "I need…your help…from both of you."

That shocked Leon enough to where his eyes widened and his grip on his weapon loosened while Cid just cocked a brow, his hand dropping away from the growing bump on the back of his head. "Huh," was all the older man could say, his pick rising just a bit from its drooped position. "Gotta admit, I didn't see that comin'."

Leon raised his brow as well, his look more suspicious compared to how casual Cid was acting. "For what?" He asked, hand still on his gunblade.

Terra sighed heavily, head tipping lower, shoulders slumped.

Leon was even more shocked by this than Terra's request. Since he had met Terra, the warrior had been bold, confidant and was one of the few people who openly challenged Leon. Seeing him like this, resigned to something…like defeat…It was…

He didn't know what it was but he didn't like it.

Terra didn't reply immediately, and took a deep breath, eyes closing briefly before he started to speak again. "Someone…an old enemy of mine…" He opened his eyes and met with Leon's icy blues, the gunblade slinger's expression betraying nothing.

"He's come back," Terra finally said, just throwing it out.

"I need help to find him."

For a moment, there was only silence between the three men.

Characteristically, it was Cid who broke the silence.

"Well, and here I though this week couldn't get any better," He said with a slight smirk, flicking his toothpick once again, though his eyes didn't carry any of the amusement in his voice. Leon ignored his words, as usual, keeping his now narrowed gaze on Terra.

Terra met his glare out of the corner of his own eyes, refusing to face Leon completely.

Uncharacteristically, it was Leon who broke the silence next.

"What does he look like?" He asked, grip on his gunblade loosening completely, his hand slipping next to his hip. Terra closed his eyes again, sighing quietly, shoulders loosening.

"About my height," He responded after a moment. "Dark hair, scar across his left cheek, a patch over his right eye…" He paused suddenly, as if in contemplation, and was about to give the final, most significant detail when Cid beat him to the punch.

"And his left is the creepiest shade of yellow you'd ever seen," finished the former pilot, his face completely serious now. Terra blinked, looking at Cid with deep surprise. "How did you…" He started to ask but once again, Cid interrupted.

"Met the guy a decade ago, give or take a year or two," Cid explained, flicking his pick as his eyes turned away in thought. "Guy's name was Braig as I recall, and an arrogant little punk at that. No idea why Ansem the Wise kept him as one of his honor guards and apprentice…"

Cid trailed off for several seconds before looking Terra straight in the eye, hands resting on his hips, toothpick upturned as he peered at Terra closely, a strange knowing glint in his eye. "Funny thing is," Cid went on.

"He didn't have that scar, and he had both his eyes, which were normal looking brown if memory serves, and I have a pretty good memory…"

Terra avoided Cid's gaze entirely, but both Leon and the ex-pilot noticed his grip on his sword tighten.

"So, what's he want with you, kid?" Cid finally asked, flicking his pick once again.

Terra didn't reply for several seconds.

And then the earth warrior said, "Let's just say before I met him he had still had both eyes."

To that Leon's eyes widened while Cid's just glinted with something akin to respect, and his lips once more curved in a smirk. "Heh," He chuckled dryly. "I thought as much."

And then Cid turned, jerking his head at Terra as he did. "C'mon, kid. I need you for somethin'."

Terra blinked, as did Leon, who asked, "What do you need him for?"

Cid glanced back at the two younger men, then replied, "Tron's been decrypting some old files from Ansem's computer and I think there's some on his apprentices. Braig's info's gotta be n there and I just want the kid to tell me if I find the right one."

Leon cocked a brow again, his eyes suspicious and unconvinced. "Didn't you backup those files into your own terminal?" Cid just shook his head.

"Heh, I wish, but there wasn't enough memory. Ansem had a lot of stuff on his computer." Was Cid's rebuttal.

Leon glanced back at Terra, who remained quiet, looking at neither of them, just keeping his bloodshot eyes on the wall in front of him.

The gunblade slinger looked back at Cid, and he said, "It seems like a long shot, and an unnecessary one at that."

To that, Cid just shrugged.

"Better than nothin'." Was his simple explanation.

To that, Leon sighed a 'tch'. And decided to relent.

"Alright, go. I'll give Yuffie his description and we'll both keep an eye out for him on our rounds." He looked at Cid and asked, "Claymore's activated right?"

The ex-pilot nodded. Leon looked at Terra again, and the earth warrior met his cold gaze once again,

With a deep inner sigh, he started past the two and towards Merlin's cottage, hand once more. He missed Terra's eyes closing and the sound of him releasing a deep sigh of relief. The darkly clad young man turned to the simpler dressed older one. Cid jerked his head again, this time indicating the stairs just beyond the corner.

Getting the message, Terra started to follow after Cid, both now heading for the corner that led to the stairs up to the reconstructed barrier wall. As they did, cid sighed suddenly, toothpick drooping. "Dang…" He mumbled. "I really some breakfast too…"

"Oh? Can't stick around for just a few more minutes?" the giggling voice asked behind them. Both men paused, Cid smiling as he did and he turned around, spotting the familiar pink dressed figure of Aerith, a flower basket hanging from her right arm and an opened umbrella held in the left. Her forest green eyes sparkled in the morning light, and her soft smile was just as dazzling.

Chuckling, Cid turned and started back towards the flower girl, causing Terra to sigh lowly, aggravated and impatient.

"Good morning, Cid!" Aerith happily greeted, walking towards him as well. The ex-pilot chuckled again, flicking his pick and grinned. "It is now that you're here little lady!" He blinked, glancing at her umbrella before looking back at her with a bemused smirk.

"What's with the umbrella?"

Aerith giggled again, eyes closing as she smiled happily, giving her umbrella a little twirl before responding, "Well, it rained the night the before, so it might rain again, so I brought it along! But it looks like it's going to be a good day!" Cid chuckled, shaking her head at her childishness.

"Better than to have it and not need it and all that jazz?" Asked Cid, blue eyes twinkling.

Aerith nodded chipperly. "Uh-huh!"

Cid chuckled again. "That's what I like about you, Aerith. You're practical."

Smirking back, Aerith put her free hand on her hip before replying cheekily, "You know you don't need to use flattery, Cid. If you want me to save you a plate of breakfast all you have to do is ask."

The ex-pilot chuckled heartily. "And you know me so well! If you could, that'd be great."

Still smiling brightly, she nodded. "Of course! But I can't promise Stitch or Sparky might not try to gobble it up before you get back!" She warned, emerald eyes teasing.

Cid chuckled again. "Heh. If Sparky wants it, let him have it. If Stitch goes for it, throw one of Yuffie's shuriken at 'im. That usually sends him runnin'."

Aerith gasped, eyes widening before she exclaimed, "Cid!" But the ex-pilot was already walking away, chuckling lowly.

Huffing, Aerith watched him go, then blinked when she noticed Terra lingering back, head bowed, his thin bangs hanging over his bloodshot eyes. Blinking again, her smile fading and quickly being replaced with a concerned look, Aerith called, "Terra?"

The brunette turned towards her slightly, not completely looking at her, just indicating he heard her.

Clutching her umbrella a little tighter, she offered another smile and asked, "Would you…would you like me to save you a plate too?"

The earth warrior smiled softly, his eyes softening a little. This eased Aerith a little as well, but she still gave Terra a concerned look. Shaking his head, he replied gently, "No, Aerith, no thank you."

Blinking, and hedging a step closer, Aerith asked, "Oh, are you sure? It'd be no trouble!" She assured him, offering another of her bright smiles.

Terra shook his head again, and after glancing at Cid, who just watched silently, expression betraying nothing, before taking a few steps closer towards Aerith. "No, really, I'm not hungry," Terra rebutted gently. He stopped just at an arm's length away from Aerith before going silent again, fingers flexing slowly over his sword's hilt, though Aerith failed to notice.

Finally, he looked her in the eye and Aerith had to stifle the gasp building in her throat when she saw just how pale and tired Terra looked, and she wondered if he had slept at all the night before. "Aerith, I…" He swallowed, then sighed before finally saying, "Could I ask you for a favor?"

Aerith blinked, but regained her composure in that same instance, smiling brightly once more and her tone was chipper as ever as she responded, "Oh, of course, Terra! I'd be more than happy if you did! What is it that you need?"

Terra breathed another sigh, this one of relief before he was silent again for several moments. Then he spoke again, asking his favor. "Could you try to stay with Aqua throughout the day?"

Aerith furrowed her brow, confused. "I…I don't understand."

Terra went on, his eyes suddenly looking pleading and desperate. "I just…Could you please just stay by her side? Watch her and make sure she's safe?"

Aerith's eyes flickered, unsure and very confused. "But, Terra, why-"

"_Please_."

His interjection was soft, but forceful, his eyes narrowing and he took another step towards Aerith, and she found herself almost flinching away from him. But she stood her ground, and nodded, smiling again. Though this smile lacked the genuine warmth and care they always seemed to radiate.

"No problem," She assured. "I have some errands today and I'll ask her to come with me."

Terra nodded, a shaking breath of relief slipping past his lips. "Thank you," he whispered fiercely. Aerith only nodded and smiled back, though her grip on her umbrella tightened just a bit.

"C'mon Terra," Called Cid. "We're wasting daylight."

Terra gave Aerith one last nod and turned back towards Cid, quickly rejoining the ex-pilot and the two resumed for the stairs to the op of the wall, though Cid called over his shoulder just before they disappeared around the corner. "You have a good day, Aerith."

She watched them go, before softly whispering, "You be safe, Cid…"

He must have heard her, despite how low her voice was, as Cid gave an over the shoulder wave just before vanishing completely, Terra only a few steps behind him.

Aerith stood there for a few moments longer, nervously twirling her umbrella and biting her lower lip.

Something about Terra…

Something was very wrong.

It was more than how he looked, deeper than that…

He acted like a man standing before an endless abyss…

And about to take the first and only step into the plunge.

Sighing deeply, Aerith decided to honor Terra's plea.

"But I don't think I'm the one she needs to be with today…" She whispered softly.

With that she turned towards the cottage and headed inside.

Maybe it wasn't going to be such a good day after all…

* * *

Ohhh...I'm tired.

fun fact: My muse only wanted to have me write this between the hours of midnight and 3 am.

And to be honest, I'm not a big fan of this chapter. I consider my chapter 14 of Body and Soul, which was my least favorite chapter. Though 15 and 16 are followed closely.

Meh.

Changed my username...again.

I was just telling MonMonCandie if I updated as much as I changed my name I might make you guys happier...or something like that. Can't remember.

Too tired.

Gonna...lie down now...

Sleepy...

...zzzzzzzz...

...review...response...next chapter...promise...

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz


	11. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine:…And the Light.

It was a silent and uneventful walk up the stairs to the gate of the bailey, with Cid and Terra only pausing long enough for Cid to lock the gates behind him. The pilot glanced at Terra, who was still silent, his head bowed silently, dark bangs hiding his eyes in shadows. With a shrug and flick of his toothpick the ex-pilot resumed his march, Terra following behind him as the two descended from the steps of the bailey and into the canyon pass that led to the mighty bastion that loomed over all of Radiant Garden.

They had made it halfway into the construction site when the air rippled a few feet away. Terra raised his arm, halting Cid, who glared at the sudden swirls of darkness that appeared in the air before they took shape into familiar armored Soldier Heartless, the creatures landing on their feet with a 'clank', their bodies jerking randomly. Cid scoffed while Terra raised his sword.

"The mornin' just ain't complete 'til the Heartless show up…" Murmured Cid. Terra stepped a few paces ahead before assuming his battle stance, grip on his sword tightening, blood-shot eyes narrowed. The Soldier Heartless crouched, dead yellow eyes set on Terra, heads twitching randomly.

Then, they leapt up and back, curling in on themselves and vanishing in another swirl of shadows. Cid blinked, eyes widening, his toothpick almost dropping out of his mouth. The ex-pilot stepped closer towards Terra, who dropped his stance to look around.

"Well… can't say I've ever I've ever seen 'em do that before." Muttered Cid to himself. Terra didn't respond for moment, and glanced back at the older man to simply say, "Let's keep going." And then the younger man resumed walking towards the bastion still looming ahead.

The older man however, did not follow immediately, just rubbed the back of his neck in a nervous motion. "I'm startin' to think I should've brought someone else along…" Cid whispered to himself, eyeing Terra warily before resuming his trek behind the younger warrior.

The castle was just up ahead, and then it was on to Ansem's computer and the information inside it. For Terra, it was a slight hope that within that computer was something that could help him defeat Braig and keep Aqua safe from the Freeshooter. For Cid…

It was answers.

* * *

The sun's rays easily pierced through the thin curtains, the light touching the bundled form still lying on the bed, locks of blue peeking out near the pillow.

At the bottom of the bed, a ball of blue fur watched silently, ears dropped, big eyes narrowed in concern while a second yellow colored alien floated back and forth slowly, gently crackling with electricity. Neither Stitch or Sparky had left Aqua's side all night, both keeping guard over the water maiden lest the 'bad man' came back to try and harm her as he had the night before. Despite the fact both alien experiments had been up all night, neither looked the least it tired and were on full alert for the first sign of anything strange.

Just then, Sparky's head jerked up, antennas crackling as his nostrils flared several times. Stitch looked up at his doppelganger, growling a curious "Hurr?" Before his nose flared up as well, catching the whiff of a fast approaching scent. Before either alien could react the door swung open and both experiments let out yelps, Stitch's ears flying up while sparks discharged from Sparky.

"Riiiiiiise and shine, sleepy-head!" Sang Aerith loudly as she quickly stepped inside Aqua's room, her beautiful innocent face lit up in a brilliant smile, emerald eyes sparkling. From where she lay on the bed, Aqua blinked, flinching a little at the sudden noise and movement, tired sapphire gems following Aerith as the flower girl quickly moved towards the drawn curtains and pulled them apart, letting the full force of the sun's light pour in, right on top of Aqua.

While the water maiden was groaning and pulling the covers over her head to block out the torrent of light, Aerith went on saying, "It's too pretty of a day to just sleep! Up!" She declared with a clap of her hands, once more circling around to Aqua's bed. When the brunette saw that the bluenette was still not moving, she folded her arms and sighed for a moment before promptly ripping the covers off, exposing Aqua entirely to the sun's light and the cool air of the morning, causing her to curl up a little and blink her watery eyes open in confusion.

Aerith merely smiled down on her, carefully folding the blanket before saying again, "Up! Shower and freshen up, I'll have some breakfast ready for you downstairs." And with that, she turned to leave but paused just by the door. Blinking, Aerith noticed the majority of Aqua's cloths carefully folded on her dresser. Frowning, she picked up one of the bell-sleeves, noting all the tears and stains over it.

Turning back to the water maiden who was finally sitting up and rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Aqua blinked when she noticed Aerith looking back at her, the bluenette

s bell-sleeve held carefully by the tip of the flower girl's index finger.

"Are these the only clothes you have?" Aerith asked.

Aqua blinked again, then nodded slowly.

Aerith shook her head, tutting.

"Oh, these simply won't do at all. I need to give the ma good washing and few new stitches ("Huh?" asked the blue alien from the floor below at the mention of his name). Well, I can tell you this is the last day you'll be wearing these rags because right after breakfast we are going shopping!" Declared the flower girl with an excited smile at the last part.

Aqua remained silent, watching Aerith as she collected her dirty and torn clothes while saying, "I'll get one of my extra dresses for you to wear today so you won't have to wear these again," Before looking back at Aqua, still smiling. When she saw the water maiden's unresponsive and melancholy look, Aerith quickly said, "Stitch! Sparky! Come downstairs with me!" And with that she finally stepped out of Aqua's room, though Aqua still caught her faint murmur, "I think she needs some privacy…"

Sparky followed obediently after Aerith, only pausing to look back at Aqua and then his blue furred cousin before quickly zipping after Aerith with a small crackle of electricity and faint hint of ozone left in his wake. Stitch was much more reluctant than his crackling cousin, hesitantly following after Sparky and Aerith before pausing to look back at Aqua, his clawed hands wringing each other, ears flat. Aqua gave him a gentle smile and nod. This made Stitch smile back slightly, ears perking up before he quickly scampered after Aerith and Sparky.

Aqua listened to the sound of his claws fade and after several seconds of silence, concluded she was truly alone and stood up, stretching a little and sighing deeply, sapphire eyes downcast. She stepped into the hallway, moving towards the washroom, deciding to heed Aerith's advice (Though she wasn't so sure how she felt about shopping…) when she noticed Terra's door partially ajar. She stared at it, telling herself she already knew what she would see if she opened it and to just keep walking.

She was not surprised when she walked over to the door and pushed it all the way open. Another lack of surprises when she saw no occupant and that the bed perfectly made, as if no one had slept in it the night before. Aqua stared into the empty room, her eyes filled with sadness.

She was not surprised he was gone again. In a strange way she was used to it now. Maybe because she a stronger suspicion of why he wanted to leave so badly.

Xehanort's portrait…

Braig's return…

And…

His eyes…

Those horrible golden flares.

It was too much for her and she couldn't imagine what it was doing to Terra.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair at all. They had been sent here for a second chance, a fresh start and yet all of the causes for their misery those years ago were rearing their ugly faces, threatening the happiness they had just managed to grab hold of.

Aqua raised her hand towards her face, fingers just hovering over her lips.

She could still feel him, his touch…

Her hand fell away.

It was a memory now, and she doubted they would ever hold each other the way they had the night before again.

She could not be his light if it would only force the darkness in his heart to the surface.

With a sigh so soft it was barely audible, Aqua closed the door and resumed her walk to the washroom.

Maybe this 'shopping trip' with Aerith could distract her…

* * *

The rest of the walk to the castle of Hollow Bastion was uneventful compared to the near Heartless scare in the canyon path. It was smooth sailing, as Cid liked to think of it. When they arrived inside the castle and the corridors that would lead them to Ansem the Wise's study, the ex-pilot was perturbed by the lack of Heartless. Even when Claymore had been up and running those annoying buggers would litter the halls, quickly getting blown up.

But the crumbling hallways were empty, silent save for the occasional 'drip' of water. Cid found the silence to be way to creepy. Terra wasn't helping matters, having fallen behind Cid and remained deathly quiet as ever, his bloodshot eyes hidden in the castle's shadows.

Cid exhaled a rather loud sigh of relief when they finally reached the lit corridor that led to Ansem's study. "Alright, were here," He said, flicking his toothpick and looking back at Terra, grinning. The younger man stared blankly back, eyes narrowed slightly, not from aggravation, but from pure exhaustion.

Sighing again and rubbing the back of his head, Cid marched up to the door and opened it, stepping inside and moving further into the office, stopping by a wall just past the lost sage's desk and by a bookcase. Cid looked back, watching impatiently as Terra stepped inside the office, his movements more sluggish then they had been on their way up here. The young warrior was closing the door when he looked over Ansem's desk and froze for a split-second.

Frowning, Cid followed his gaze, then raised a brow when he caught sight of the golden portrait frame…and the ruined portrait of Xehanort. Frowning and scratching the back of his head, Cid glanced back at Terra but the brunette was making his way towards Cid, no longer looking at the ruined portrait. Cocking a brow for second, Cid just shrugged it off before moving his hand towards a certain spot on the wall.

Terra was watching cid in confusion when the wall suddenly lit up, causing him to gasp and flinch back, his gloved hand moving over his eyes to shield them from the light. cid snorted, chuckling loudly at Terra's reaction as the light dimmed, and with it, the wall seemed to vanish along with it. "Bet'chu weren't expecting that?" Cid asked with a smirk.

Terra lowered his hand from his eyes, though they were still narrowed slightly, irritated from lack of sleep and the sudden brightness. "No…can't say I was," replied Terra quietly, looking back at Cid.

The older pilot just chuckled again before motioning Terra to follow him as he stepped onto the revealed metallic walkway. "Oh, we ain't even got to the cool stuff yet, C'mon." He walked towards a curve in the walkway before looking back at Terra expectedly, steely eyes impatient, toothpick upturned slightly.

Terra was suddenly a lot more hesitant to follow the ex-pilot. He was looking at the exposed walkway with sudden trepidation, bloody eyes looking over it as if he was looking at a trap ready to spring. Terra's intense scanning was broken by Cid coughing loudly.

"You wanna hurry it up there, kid?" The pilot asked, tone once more disgruntled, his expression set in a scowl, brow and toothpick raised. Terra flinched again, muttering, "Sorry," before finally stepping onto the walkway after Cid. No sooner had he stepped onto the walkway did he stumble suddenly and nearly trip, barely managing to grab the railing to support himself, his grip on his sword almost slipping as well.

Cid gasped, exclaiming, "Hey!" and moved towards Terra to help him, but the younger warrior waved him off and forced himself back onto less than steady feet. "I-I'm alright," Terra assured him. Cid sighed harshly, rubbing the back of his head vigorously.

"Jeez, kid. What the heck's wrong with you?" Cid demanded, peering down on Terra as the warrior tried to force himself back up with help from the railing. Terra stared up at Cid as he finally regained his footing, though he was still hunched slightly and paler than ever, redness of his eyes becoming even more pronounced. "It's…nothing," Terra finally said, wiping the sudden sweat that beaded his forehead away with the back of his glove. "Just a headache," he assured Cid.

Cid raised a brow, still scowling, toothpick rising as well, before sighing in disgust, scratching his head, eyes closing as he turned away from Terra while muttering, "Sheesh, I'm gettin' a headache too. Yuffie used to be the only one capable of doin' that to me…Gonna need Aerith to make sum of that herbal tea when we get back…" He trailed off; still muttering while Terra stumbled after him. The earth warrior was just as confused by his sudden fatigue and headache as Cid was annoyed by it. Terra vaguely remembered feeling like this when had first arrived in that office, but he had wrote it off as the combination of horror and disgust he had felt over his discovery of that portrait.

He was very glade he had burned it. Cid did not need to see it and Terra in the same room or he'd figure it out in a heartbeat and spill it to Leon. Or would he, Terra wondered as he followed Cid into a larger alcove.

Inside the alcove was a strange device attached to a wall. What ever its purpose was Terra couldn't make heads or tails of, but across from it was something he was somewhat familiar with. It was a computer terminal like the one cid operated back at Merlin's cottage, but much smaller and sleeker looking, akin to the ones Terra had seen on the giant ship where had first met Stitch ten years ago. But instead of just one single monitor, their were at least a dozen scattered throughout the room, connected to various places on the walls. The computer itself overlooked a huge open area with a massive machine made of multiple cylinder pillars jutting from the walls. Like the other machine, it's purpose was lost to Terra.

Cid's mood improved almost as soon as he laid eyes on the computer, sighing heartily and stepping up to it, hands resting on the keyboard. He looked back at Terra, who was rubbing his temple as the throbbing of his headache suddenly intensified. "Vanishing walls are cool, but this is the main event," Cid said, smirking with his toothpick upraised.

Terra lowered his hand, blinking slowly before responding, "Is it now?" Cid nodded, looking back at the terminal and patting the keyboard in an almost affectionate manner. "Yep," he affirmed with another nod before looking back at Terra.

"All the information we need is one of the files inside this terminal. Just gotta boot it up and we'll be in business." With that Cid flicked his toothpick and cracked the joints in his fingers before suddenly rapidly typing away at the terminal's keyboard, tuning everything out and ignoring Terra, who watched silently. Terra flinched again, left eye twitching as another painful throb of his headache pounded against his temples. Terra pressed the back of his hand against his forehead, hoping to ease the pain down, but it did nothing. He found himself wishing he remembered how to do a simple Cure spell, he noted as he lowered his hand, those had always been the best for treating-

Terra's eyes widened.

Then blinked, refocusing.

He blinked again, this time in disbelief, a feeling he had experienced too many times since arriving here.

Not a moment ago the floor under the strange device attached to the wall was clear.

Now two bodies were lying crumpled, faces down, under it.

Terra's breathing quickened slightly, not panting, but close too it, on the verge of panic.

He glanced at Cid out of the corner of his eye, but the older pilot was too engrossed in his rapid typing to pay any attention to Terra. The young warrior slowly forced his gaze back onto the floor, praying the bodies wouldn't be there anymore and it was just another trick of his eyes born from the terrible thoughts and pains that tormented him constantly. They were still there.

Both bodies were covered in white labs coats, the taller one having long blonde hair resting on their back. Terra couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman but he didn't care, his eyes draw to the smaller body which had gray hair. Dear gods, he thought as his eyes widened in horror.

It was a _child._

Xehanort…had he…would he go so far as to-

"Ok!" Cid declared loudly with one final click of keys on the board, snapping Terra out of his daze. Terra blinked, quickly glancing at Cid as the pilot began to turn and face Terra. Terra snuck a glance back towards the floor.

The bodies were gone.

_But of course_ , a part of his mind sneered.

They had never been there to begin with.

Breathing deeply, he glanced at Cid out f the corner of his eyes as the older man went on speaking. "Everything's booted up," He declared, grinning and flicking his toothpick before jerking his thumb over his shoulder towards the monitor and glancing back at it. "Should be just another few seconds-"

A loud chime reverberated through the room.

"Greetings Users!" A voice echoed from speakers on the monitor.

Terra blinked, looking around wildly for the source of the voice while Cid's grin widened and he chuckled once.

"Sup, Tron," He replied.

Terra blinked, looking back at Cid and muttering in confusion, "Tron?"

The monitor had brightened considerably and a second chime echoed through the room.

"Ah, hello Cid! This is a pleasant surprise! You usually contact me from your own terminal. You do not normally visit this terminal to access me." Greeted Tron cheerfully. Cid just chuckled once, flicking his pick again.

The monitor dimmed as Terra stepped forward, looking as confused as ever.

Cid chuckled again before looking at Terra, speaking again to explain. "Tron's a security program copied over by Ansem the Wise from a corporation called 'ENCOM'. A corporation from another world." Terra blinked, looking at Cid in disbelief.

Cid nodded and went on. "Ansem the Wise used the copied system to maintain his files and for town maintenance and private research. He copied Tron over to protect those systems inside the computer."

Terra could blink at Cid, completely flabbergasted. He took a step towards the terminal, hand extended as if to touch the keyboard. "There's…someone inside that computer? There's a word inside that computer?" Asked Terra, completely awed.

Cid scratched the back of his head, frowning, eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Well…it's a bit more complicated and technical than that, but essentially, yes." Cid affirmed, lowering his hand, steely eyes still on Terra.

Terra touched the keyboard after a moment's hesitation, whispering, "That's…That-"

The screen brightened on the monitor and a chuckle was produced from the speakers, causing Terra to flinch back in surprise.

"That tickles!" Exclaimed Tron.

Terra was too stunned to speak, while Cid just chuckled, walking towards the younger man and patting him on the shoulder. "Sorry, Terra, forgot to tell ya Tron's a little…sensitive," Explained the pilot, grinning from ear to ear. He didn't sound that apologetic, Terra noted with a scowl, he sounded more like he was trying not to burst out laughing.

The screen brightened again, a softer chime echoing. "'Terra?'" Asked Tron.

Said warrior blinked, looking at the computer, still unnerved by the fact there was a world and someone inside it.

"Terra, as in, one of the new Users?" Tron elaborated.

Cid nodded, flicking his toothpick. "Yep, this is him," He confirmed, patting Terra's shoulder again, making the younger man flinch and give Cid a sidelong glance.

"Fascinating," Tron breathed, the screen dimming before brightening again. "Another User like Sora!"

Terra blinked again at the name. "Sora?" He echoed.

Cid stepped away from Terra while saying, "Yeah, he's this kid who helped us all out in the past. Saved the universe a few times and all that good stuff. Nice kid, little dim."

As cid approached the terminal, Terra bowed his head slightly, eyes narrowed in thought.

"Sora…" He whispered again.

And then another sharp stab of agony tore through his head.

* * *

_Dust._

_Gales riding gales of hurricane winds filled with dust._

_It filled his joints, ate at his armor, covered him in rust._

_Movement._

_Through the dust, through the gales…_

_Three of them._

_They stopped in front of him._

_The storm was beginning to die down but he could not make them out quite yet._

"_Aqua…Ven…" He breathed, his voice, nonexistent and metallic echoed._

_They watched him, but he still could not see them._

"_Keyblade…"_

_His helm moved ever so slightly, trying to adjust his view. Something about the middle figure…_

"_Who are you?...I can feel it….we have met before….But when…" And then he finally saw them._

"_No…it isn't you…"_

_This boy…tall, yet lanky, dressed oddly in all black, with spiked light brown locks, and familiar sky blue eyes._

_Familiar…_

_But it was not…_

_Images of a young boy with silver locks and lighter blue eyes flashed in what was left of his mind._

"_It isn't you that I have chosen…Why isn't it him?"_

_And then…_

_A sneering old face and a pair of amber eyes, like the centers of two burning flames flashed in his mind's eye._

"_Xe…ha…nort…"_

_At the mention of the name, the three strangers suddenly took defensive stances, weapons in their hands._

"_Is that you?" He wondered._

_The Keyblade was in the boy's hands…Another unwilling vessel?_

_Rage._

_Rage awakened inside him, the only emotion he had left._

"_Xeha…nort…"_

_He began to rise, joints of his armor-his only _body_-cracking with displaced rust and dust. He had not moved from this position of penance for so long…But he would not let this man escape again._

"_Xehanort!" He howled, right hand grasping the hilt of his mighty Keyblade, the ends of the Earth and unsheathing it form the ground._

_He slowly raised it and lowered it to his side, the wind causing his cape to ripple in the wind._

_His nonexistent eyes locked on Xehnaort and his allies._

_This time…_

_This time he would not escape._

* * *

_It was him again._

_That boy in black._

_He was surprised slightly when the boy and the source of Xehanort's scent arrived into the clearing on this island. Xehanort was surrounded by a miasma of darkness, obscuring his form, no doubt gathering his power to prepare for the imminent battle. Oddly enough…_

_His Keyblade had changed form._

_He couldn't study Xehanort's form when the boy in black approached him._

'_Boy in black' was no longer appropriate. He was wearing some kind of uniform…_

_The boy began to speak._

"_Hey," He greeted cheerfully, smile bright and wide._

"_Remember me? The guy you nearly killed?"_

* * *

Someone was shaking him.

Terra snapped out his daze of memories lost, blinking several times and inhaling sharply. Cid peered at him, scowling, toothpick upturned. "Hey, you alright there? You kinda…dazed off on me."

Terra blinked slowly, breathing deeply. Then he nodded, saying lowly, "Yeah, I'm fine. It's nothing."

The computer screen dimmed and brightened again before Tron said hesitantly, "Ahh, I respectfully disagree, Terra."

Both Terra and cid turned to look at the monitor, Cid's brow raised slightly, an interested gleam in his steely eyes. Terra's eyes barely hid his sudden panic. "What, uh, do you mean?" He asked, mentally cursing at the slight panicked edge his voice had taken.

Tron went on.

"Well, your heart rate and blood-pressure are unusually high for a young man of your age. And not because of whatever panic episode you just suffered from. These high levels indicate almost chronic stress for a period of several days. Have you experienced any unusual symptoms in the last week, Terra? Blackouts, for instance?"

Terra froze.

Tron went on. "Losing consciousness or 'graying out'? Have you suddenly found yourself dizzy or disoriented? Clumsy or confused? Have you experienced anything like these symptoms?" Cid was looking at Terra while Tron went silent, both waiting for an answer.

This computer had it down to a 'T'.

Terra swallowed slowly, before responding carefully.

"No, nothing like that. I've just…had a rough week is all." Yet another half-truth wrapped in a lie. Tron was silent, the monitor dimming a little while Cid only continued to glance back at Terra curiously. Finally, the monitor brightened again. "…Well, alright then." Was all Tron said.

He sounded as about as convinced as Cid looked and Terra felt. But thankfully, the ex-pilot looked away from Terra, flicking his pick again but remaining silent as he once more approached the terminal. "Well, as fun as listening to you play doctor Tron, it's not why we're here."

"Oh?" Responded Tron. "Well, what is it that you need Cid?"

Cid crossed his arms before he replied, "You remember when I asked you to try and recover all those corrupted files? We were hoping on of 'em has somethin' on a guy named 'Braig'. That is, if you've managed to repair any of 'em."

The screen brightened again as Tron replied, "Ah! You're in luck, Cid! I have successfully recovered 54% of Ansem the Wise's research files!"

Cid scoffed a single chuckle. "Well ain't that convenient. Start a scan on all those files, keyword: Braig."

The screen darkened and Tron replied simply: "One moment please."

The screen dimmed further and there was silence.

Terra finally took a few steps towards the terminal as well, glancing at the screen for a moment, watching random ones and zeros flash across it. Then he glanced at Cid and asked, "You really think this will work?" He didn't want to confront the possibility that this whole trip had been a waste, but Terra had to admit he had never had any real luck…

Cid simply shrugged rather casually.

"It's a good as try as any other. 'Sides, I've got faith in Tron. He hasn't let me down yet."

At that moment, the screen flashed, lighting up as Tron's voice spoke up once again.

"Three recovered files found with keyword: Braig in their listings."

Cid smiled, then looked back at Terra saying, "And sometime's havin' faith can reward ya."

Cid looked back at the screen while Tera contemplated his words silently.

"Alright Tron, what are the files?" Cid asked the program.

Silence for a split-second before Tron responded promptly.

"One is a security report written on X/X/X…sorry, the file is still partially corrupted…detailing an injury this Braig person received while on duty. Specifically, his face. His right eye was blinded and his left cheek scarred." Cid glanced back at Terra, who remained silent, though his expression had become fierce. He nodded at Cid, who looked back at the terminal.

"Go one. What are the other two?"

Another pause, then the screen brightened once again as Tron responded.

"The second file seems to be some sort of study report written by Ansem the Wise. The file is still partially corrupted but there is something recovered worth noting, Cid."

Cid cocked a brow, toothpick rising a little. "Well, don't leave us in suspense Tron."

The screen darkened then brightened again. "My apologies. This report notes a unique ability this Braig character seemed to have possessed. Spatial manipulation."

At that, Cid just scratched his head. "Uhhh…wanna, clarify that?"

"Teleport"

Cid blinked, turning around to look back at Terra, who had spoken up.

"He could teleport," Terra explained.

The screen brightened, a chime ringing as if to affirm Terra's words, causing Cid to look back at the terminal.

"That's not all," Tron said. "This Braig could also quote "Open temporal rifts within the dimensional space around himself", end quote."

Neither Cid or Terra knew what to say to that. All cid could respond with was a simple, "Uhhh…" And Terra barely understood what Tron had said at all.

Tron spoke again. "In layman terms, this Braig had the power to open small portals around himself. He could throw something through one of these portals and it would emerge from a second portal not far away. A fascinating ability."

"And a dangerous one…" muttered Terra to himself. Braig had been right when he had said he hadn't shown 'half of what he could really do'. He had never seen him do anything like Tron was saying he could do. Had the sniper always held back on purpose, just to toy with Terra and make him think he had claimed an easy victory?

He couldn't afford to underestimate Braig again. It wasn't just Terra's own life that was in danger but everyone else on this world…

And Aqua…

Cid suddenly snapped his fingers and exclaimed, "That explains it!"

Terra blinked, once more awoken from his own thoughts to look at Cid in confusion before asking, "What? Explains what?"

Cid looked back at Terra before he started to explain. "When Claymore came back online, it rescanned the entire village and castle. The weird thing at the time, was that there were multiple readings of something' that was constantly jumpin' around all over the place. Claymore would pick it up in one spot and than it would appear in another. I had no idea what it was at the time, but if you and Tron say this Braig fella can teleport, then it was probably him jumpin' from one spot to the next."

Terra still wasn't sure what this 'claymore' Cid and the other committee members had been talking about was, but whatever it was, it seemed to be able to watch over a large portion of this world. So…could it possibly…

"Cid," Terra said, causing the older man to grunt in acknowledgement.

Terra went on. "Could Claymore…could it track Braig?" It was a big leap, but maybe…

Cid scratched his stubbly chin, eyes narrowed in thought. Then he slowly nodded. "Yeah…I mean, it couldn't lock onto him, but I've got the energy signature of his warps and that could help us pinpoint him wherever he's hidin' out in Radiant Garden. Heck, let's take it a step further and program Claymore to attack him just like any other Heartless."

Cid was grinning at that. Terra returned the smile…though his was less friendly. "That would be nice…" He whispered darkly to himself.

Cid cocked a brow, and was about to say something when Tron spoke up again.

"Um, Cid? Would you like to se the last recovered file?" Cid blinked, quickly turning to look back at the terminal. "Oh, yeah. Sure Tron."

The screen flashed and something appeared on it.

"It's a picture, not another file." Tron explained.

Cid stared down on the file, muttering a "huh," before looking over his shoulder and making a quick jerk like nod. "Hey, Terra. C'mere and look at this."

Terra did as beckoned, walking up to Cid and looking at the screen. Indeed it was a picture of Braig, exactly as he had looked ten years ago, once more dressed in his buttoned up purple guardsmen uniform. His face was as usual set in a cocky sneer.

Terra had to resist the overpowering urge to put his fist through the screen.

"That's him," He affirmed quietly, the anger barely hidden in his voice.

Cid nodded, once again crossing his arms. "Little out of date, but it'll do. I'll print a copy off and give it to Leon and Yuffie. They'll keep an eye out for him." Cid looked back at Terra, grinning. "Not a bad haul, wouldn't ya say?"

Terra nodded, smiling and breathing a sigh of relief. It wasn't much, but now he might be able to find Braig faster now with this new information. Cid looked back at the screen and said to Tron, "Tron, create copies of those three files and send them to my terminal back at Merlin's cottage, would ya?"

The screen blinked as Tron replied, "Of course. Anything else?"

Terra didn't think there was anything else, and he was rather eager to get of this place. His headache was starting to come back and he wanted to start looking for Braig as soon as possible. So you could imagine his surprise when cid suddenly said, "Yeah, there is one more thing Tron. I need you to pull up that file you found a file back labeled AN1."

The screen dimmed before Tron replied, "Ah. I see."

Terra blinked, very confused. And suddenly nervous. "What…what is it?" The earth warrior asked. Cid didn't look back at him, his face impassive and impossible to read as he replied slowly, "Terra…you ever meet a young name named Xehanort while you were here?"

Terra's heart stopped and his blood ran ice cold.

Silence passed for several seconds, and cid slowly glanced back at Terra out of the corner of his eye.

Terra swallowed silently, willing himself to respond in an even and clam tone. "No…I never met a man with that name." Now that was just a flat out lie.

Cid didn't look fooled at all. "Huh. Well, let show you this picture of him anyway. Might jog your memory. You'd be surprised who you meet throughout your life. A picture sometimes remind you of people you've met before, even if you never knew their name."

There was another chime, this one lower than the last one…

And the image of Braig was replaced with a new picture, a younger man in a lab coat, a purple ascot around his neck. His long hair was a silverish white, two long bangs framing his young and handsome face, spiked locks framing through the rest of his hair. Though the eyes of the young man were brown and the skin much darker than Terra's own…

Anyone who looked at this picture and Terra could easily see they were identical.

Terra didn't know what to do. His jaw was grinding down painfully, fury bubbling in his veins as he realized had been tricked. He glared at Cid, who didn't look at Terra, his steely eyes on the picture.

"Well…gotta say, you two have quite the resemblance."

Terra couldn't respond, wouldn't let himself.

The light from the lamps above seemed to suddenly play tricks with Terra's bloodshot eyes.

They had taken an unnatural…

Orange color.

Cid still had his back to Terra as the warrior began to slowly walk towards him, his grip on his sword so tight it was shaking.

* * *

Breakfast had been rather uneventful. Well, at least to Aqua. "Aww, you look cute in that dress!" Aerith said when she saw Aqua step downstairs in the dress Aerith had laid out for her on her bed. A simple article of clothing, a blue and white dress with a red camisole underneath. The only item of clothing Aqua was wearing from her own wardrobe was her metal shoes.

Though, even Aqua had to admit they went well with the dress.

Stitch, who was currently in the rafters, having been playing with Sparky peered down on Aqua, ears rising as his eyes widened. "Ooooh," he murmured at the sight of Aqua before exclaiming "Ichi bay!" Aqua blinked at the exclamation, looking up at Stitch in confusion. Due to his toothy grin, she could only guess that was some kind of approval in his native tongue. Sparky spiraled around a rafter before pausing to look at Aqua as well.

Aqua fidgeted under all this scrutiny, unconsciously rubbing the soft material of the dress between her forefinger and thumb. She had never liked wearing dresses, they had always felt too…loose. But she had to admit her only other cloths were too dirty and torn up to keep wearing.

Now that she thought about it, they technically hadn't been washed for at least ten years…

Aerith patted a chair, a plate filled with fresh eggs and pancakes waiting in front of it. "Sit! Eat up! Quickly too, please, I'd like to get to the shop early if you don't mind, it tends to get busier in the afternoon."

Aqua nodded slowly, still rather numb, and sat down, picking up her fork and idly poking her food. She really wasn't that hungry, but Aerith had gone out of her way as usual, so it was only polite. One of the major things Master Eraqus had always imposed on Aqua and Terra had been manners…

Thinking of that only made her mood blacker.

It was then Aqua noticed that she and Aerith were the only ones in the main floor of the cottage. Cid was not typing away at his terminal and Merlin was not going through his piles of books heaped in the corner. It was strange, not hearing them argue like always. How funny that she had grown used to it so fast…

Aqua blinked, her thoughts interrupted when she realized Aerith was saying something. "Oh, I'm sorry, what did you say, Aerith?" She asked, tone soft.

The flower girl was scowling playfully down on her.

"I said you need to start eating! Do you always drift off like that in the morning? Trying to fall back asleep, mm?" She asked teasingly with a wink of her emerald eyes.

Aqua felt her cheeks flushed, embarrassed, and she continued to stir her food while Aerith went over to the sink to wash some dishes. Clearing her throat, Aqua looked back at Aerith and asked quietly, "Um, where is everyone?"

"Merlin went to eat his breakfast up to his study," replied Aerith cheerfully, looking back at Aqua with another wink. "Although I think he just wanted to play with that toy train he brought back from his trip."

Aqua smiled a little at that, still just poking at her own food, waiting for Aerith to continue.

"Leon's out on patrol with Yuffie, they'll probably be back soon though," Aerith went one, before pausing for a few seconds. Finally, she said, "And Cid went off to the castle…with Terra."

Aerith hesitated, looking back at Aqua. But the water maiden was still just poking at her food, her face unreadable. "I see," she said, meeting Aerith's gaze evenly, sapphire orbs blank. "Did they say why they were going there?"

Aerith hesitated once again, and was quiet for a moment before saying, "Well, I only just caught them as they were leaving…but I think I overhead cid saying something about going to Ansem the Wises old computer to look for something."

That had Aqua frowning, confused. She knew Terra had no idea how to work a computer (Because she had no idea how to work one either), and she wondered why he would accompany Cid to the one in the castle. Then the obvious struck her.

Braig.

This had something to do with the sniper's return.

Just thinking of that one-eyed monster was enough to curb any pretense of eating breakfast. Pushing her plate aside, Aqua said to the flower girl, "Aerith, I'm not very hungry. Could we just go now, please?"

Aerith blinked in surprise but recovered quickly, smiling warmly. "Absolutely! Early bird gets the worm after all, right?" she asked with another bright smile. Aqua returned the smile, though it was a bit forced and lacked the natural warmth Aerith seemed to exude effortlessly. The flower girl walked over to the table, eyeing Aqua's plate and tapping her chin in thought.

"Hmmm," she hummed. "It would be a shame to just throw this out…Oh, I know!" She looked up towards the rafters and called, "Stitch!"

Almost instantly the blue ball of alien fur tumbled down from the rafters above, ears raised, eyes wide, toothy grin still present as he happily ran circles around Aerith's legs, yipping, "Yea! Yea! Yea!" The flower girl giggled at Stitch's hyperactive antics and reached down to playfully scratch him behind his ear.

"Would you like some left over breakfast? It's still hot!" Assured Aerith, smiling brightly. Stitch's eyes bugged out of his head and he exclaimed excitedly before leaping onto the table to sloppily (And noisily) devour Aqua's untouched food. The water maiden turned away, remembering how nauseating it was to watch Stitch eat the first time.

Just listening to him eat was still enough to make her turn a little green…

Aerith giggled again as Stitch rapidly devoured and finished the food in exactly two-seconds. "Aww, good boy! And you didn't eat the plate this time!" She said while taking said plate towards the sink. As she did she said to Aqua, "Just a sec while I grab my basket and wallet Aqua, and then we'll go, ok?"

The water maiden nodded and murmured an "Ok," while she waited. She blinked suddenly, feeling a soft tugging near her legs. Looking down, Aqua saw it was Stitch, who was smiling up at her. Despite herself, Aqua couldn't help but return the smile and petted the top of Stitch's furry head. He gave a contented purr, eagerly rubbing against her palm.

Just then a faint crackle and pop could be heard and in a flurry of sparks, Sparky appeared, circling around Aqua, cackling. Aqua watched Sparky circle just above her, his electric blue eyes locked on her and Stitch, and the yellow alien was also grinning toothily. Aerith was walking back over, basket in arm when she saw the two alien cousins by Aqua, she smiled again, saying, "Ohh, do you want to come with us, Stitch? Sparky?"

At that both aliens were scrambling around Aerith and Aqua, excitedly yapping away in their native tongue (Or just buzzing in Sparky's case). Aerith looked at Aqua sheepishly asking, "Do you mind? We really can't leave them here or they might break something."

Aqua smiled back and nodded in assurance. "It's fine," she said. "I was kinda expecting them to tag along anyway."

Aerith beamed. "Well, that's good! Alright, let's get going!"

With that, they left the cottage and headed for the market district, Aerith and Aqua walking side-by-side while Stitch and Sparky randomly darted ahead of them or lingered behind. The morning was silent and still, peaceful, the sun shining down from the strange purple tinged sky above. The falls were on, and their rumble was pleasant to listen and faintly feel.

Aerith glanced at Aqua and said, "You like this place. It's called 'Troian Fabrics', and they have all kinds of cute clothes."

Aqua had never been into 'cute', always practical. But she said nothing and only nodded in return, her thoughts elsewhere. Gold eyes and heated lips…

Aerith glanced at Aqua again, her smile flattering a little when she saw how distracted and quiet Aqua was.

"You're awfully quiet this morning," she finally said, causing Aqua to flinch, Aerith's words snapping her out of yet another daze.

"Is something the matter?" The flower girl asked, her bright eyes now lit with concern instead of their usual mirth, her smile turned to a frown. Of course it was obvious that something had been bothering the bluenette all morning, but it never hurt to ask.

Aqua just gave Aerith another one of those forced smiles. "It's nothing Aerith. I just can't seem to get out of my head this morning."

Aerith stared at Aqua, still frowning, eyes still filled with concern. Then she smiled back. Though it was not one of her cheerful and bright ones, but rather a forced smile akin to Aqua's own. Just more obvious.

"Well, alright. Sorry for asking, I know I've probably been chatting your ear off all morning."

Aqua shook her head. "No, you're fine. You haven't bothered me in the slightest."

Aerith genuinely smiled at that. "Well that's good! Because before this day is over I'll have turned that frown upside down!"

To that Aqua had to laugh a little, brushing a stray lock of her hair aside, and finally smiling for real. Aerith winked again, laughing as well. "See? Told ya! Now if I can just keep you smiling for the rest of the day…"

That had both women laughing as the finally rounded the corner to the stairs that led up to the shopping district, followed closely by the two alien cousins.

Maybe this shopping trip wouldn't be so bad after all, Aqua thought, still smiling a little.

* * *

Terra was only a few steps behind Cid, his grip on the sword Cloud had given him tighter than ever. His eyes still burned that strange orange color, and the light seemed to be playing tricks on the lighter parts of his hair, turning from brown to a fine blonde, almost white-

"Delete that, Tron."

That snapped Terra out of his daze of fury. He blinked several times, his eyes returning to their natural (but still badly bloodshot) color of cobalt, and the warrior took several steps back, his face filled with confusion and then shock when he saw and felt his tight grip on his sword. Cid was beginning to turn to look at Terra as Tron replied, "Acknowledged. File AN1 deleted from archives." Cid nodded, finally facing Terra. His brow furrowed when he saw Terra's panicked expression and the fresh sheen of sweat on his forehead.

"You alright kid?" the older man asked.

It was Tron who replied. "His heart rate has increased as well as his blood-pressure, suggesting panic."

Cid groaned lowly, bowing and shaking his head, hands on his hips. "Ahh, jeez, kid, calm down. Please tell me you aren't thinkin' I brought you up here just to show you that pic' and then have Leon come 'round the corner demanding answers." Terra narrowed his own eyes, fingers flexing around the hilt of his sword before tightening.

"I don't know…did you?" Queried Terra, who know eyed the corner of the entrance to that lab terminal in new suspicion. To that, cid scoffed again, shaking his head and rolling his eyes.

"Jeez, kid, you ever heard of somethin' called 'sarcasm'?"

Terra only continued to glare suspiciously at Cid, eyes darting towards the corner every few seconds or so. Huffing a sigh, Cid rubbed the back of his head before saying, "Look, I showed you that picture to prove a point."

To that, Terra only continued to glare silently at Cid.

So the former pilot went on.

"I don't know what your deal with Xehanort is, or why you two look so much alike. Heck, for all I know, it's a coincidence. Ever hear that sayin' 'bout everyone havin' a look a like out there?"

Still no response, though Terra's glare had lost some of its intensity.

Continuing, Cid said, "I'm just sayin' I don't care whatever it is because it's none of my business, ok? But I figured it pretty fast."

To that Terra quickly asked, "How did you figure it out?"

Cid scoffed, giving Terra look. "For real, kid? The way you was scowlin' at that burnt painting? Add to the fact I met Xehanort around the time I met Braig." Terra tensed but Cid only went on to say, "Nice kid, little too intense though. No real personality…"

He looked back at Terra, really looking at him now, steel bleu eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

"I got a good memory kid. I didn't need that pic to see a resemblance between you two."

With that, he went silent, waiting, watching Terra, who continued to glare back mistrustfully. Finally, the younger warrior sighed, his shoulders slumping, grip on his sword loosening and he ran a hand over his face. When he lowered it, Terra asked, "Well what do you want? An explanation?"

Cid scoffed yet again, shaking his head. "Kid, you've got a bad listenin' problem. I don't care. Other's peoples business ain't mine, and I don't make any great efforts to learn their business if I can help. The only reason I'm tellin' you all this is because I'm lettin' you know if I figured it…"

He paused to give Terra serious and intense look for a few seconds before finally finishing.

"Then Leon and the others are bound to eventually put two and two together."

If Tron had thought Terra had been having panic attacks earlier, he really was having one now.

Cid went on. "Leon doesn't trust you, even though you've only helped us. The longer you're here, the sooner he might suddenly get a wild idea like, oh I dunno, 'this guy looks like the guy who destroyed our world'. And if you thought he was houndin' ya now, hoo boy, you ain't seen nothin' yet."

Terra ran a hand through his shortened dark locks, inhaling slowly then exhaling sharply. He looked at Cid with confused mistrust. "Why are you telling me this?"

Cid shrugged casually. "Because I think you need to come clean, sooner rather than later. Like I said, I don't care, and for all I know, Xehanort was your long lost identical twin. Make's no difference to me." Cid removed his toothpick and jabbed it towards Terra in a surprisingly friendly gesture.

"I told you already Terra: I like you kid. You've gone out of your way to help us with catchin' Sparky and clearin' out the Heartless in this castle. You deserve some trust." The pilot tossed the used pick aside uncaringly. Cid looked back at Terra, expression serious for once instead of annoyed. "But while you got MY trust…getting' everyone else's is gonna be a little harder. Specially if you and Leon constantly go for each others throats."

Terra glared at Cid. "So you're saying I should confess to Leon and the others, who were just starting to ease up on their mistrust for me, that I look exactly like the man that destroyed this world and others. Yeah. That just screams 'Trust me'."

Terra expected Cid to get angry back in the face of his own rage, to scream some of his famous offensive obscenities.

But instead, the pilot just shrugged Terra's words off and looked back at the terminal, saying, "Tron, transfer yourself over to my computer in the cottage. I'm gonna need your help to reconfigure Claymore to track and attack Braig."

The screen brightened as Tron replied, "At once Cid! See you back at the cottage. Um, Terra…" The program trialed off before finishing lamely, "It was…interesting to meet another user like Sora." And then the screen flashed before powering down.

Cid looked back at Terra, eyeing him critically. "Look, Terra. It's better if the truth comes out before it turns and bites you. And believe me, it bites hard. You get me?"

To that Terra could only nod. He understood all too well…

Cid started to walk out of the lab but paused when he saw Terra wasn't following. "Yo comin'?" He asked. The younger man shook his head, walking closer to the terminal.

"No, I…I need a minute. Go on without me."

Cid shrugged again, expression uninterested as he turned and started to leave. "Alright. Don't be long. See you back at the cottage."

And with a quick turn around the corner and the sound of boots n the metal walkway, he was gone.

Terra stood alone in the lab, dark eyes staring at the dimmed monitor but not seeing it, as he was lost in thought.

Cid knew.

Well, he didn't know everything, but he knew there was a connection between Terra and Xehanort.

And it was like he said…

How much longer before someone else put it together?

But worse still…

How long until they realized just how dark his heart was?

Aqua knew now…

And an even better question:

How much longer could he keep his dark impulses at bay?

He looked at the sword in his hand.

Without even knowing it he had been prepared to…He had almost…

Terra gasped suddenly, his heart throbbing.

Pain tore through his head, but strangely enough, there was a sudden exhaustion filling him, his eyes becoming incredibly heavy…

He stumbled back, away from the terminal, and though he didn't feel it, his fingers went numb and he vaguely heard the sound of metal clattering against metal.

The room was spinning, everything beginning to blur into a hazy gray…

His body went limp and his heavy form crumpled onto the cold floor under him.

Darkness stole his vision, his consciousness…

And showed him dreams of a life he had not lived.

* * *

For once, Aqua was surprised.

Shopping had actually been much more fun than she had been expecting.

The shop itself was pretty standard for a cloths shop, with racks of various clothing articles displayed out, ranging from 'shirts to skirts' as Aerith cheerily put it. Not ten seconds into the store did it take for Stitch and Sparky to dart off, both aliens diving into random piles of clothing. Both Aerith and Aqua were bewildered by this until the clothing pile was tossed aside to reveal Stitch…

Dressed in a blonde wig, sunglasses, a grass skirt a pink flower necklace around his neck. "Maka maka!" Exclaimed Stitch excitedly as he struck a pose in his new clothes.

Aerith was cracking up at the sight, almost doubled over in laughter. Despite herself, Aqua had her hand over her mouth to stifle her own laughs at the ridiculous sight Stitch had made of himself. Stitch cocked his head in confusion, tipping his sunglasses down before turning towards Sparky, who had floated down closer to his blue cousin. Stitch babbled something to Sparky but the yellow alien could only shake his head, antennas crackling, and shrug, just as confused as Stitch was.

Still giggling, Aerith looked back at Aqua and said, "Well, if Stitch can find something to wear we can definitely find something for you Aqua." Aqua was still chuckling and when she turned to reply, she blinked, flabbergasted to see that Aerith had already darted off and was currently going through several racks of clothes one after another, looking at one item and considering it for a split-second before tossing it aside the next and moving on. Aqua watched silently, once more nervously rubbing the soft cloth of the dress she wore, more uncomfortable than ever.

Put her in a library with ancient tomes filled with magical spells and lost histories and epics, or even a battlefield filled with unspeakable horrors and she would be in her natural element. Put her in a dress in the middle of a clothes shop…

Aqua felt like a fish out of her namesake.

Stitch ambled over next to her, Sparky floating above him, tail of lightning crackling faintly as all three watched Aerith dart from one clothes rack to the next, tossing aside more clothes than she was getting. Stitch looked up at the taller woman and asked, "Ig?" Sparky likewise gave a curious buzzing growl. Aqua tipped her head, unsure of how to respond.

But just then Aerith reappeared in front of Aqua, causing the blue-haired female to let out a "yikes!" and flinch in shock while Stitch and Sparky yelped simultaneously, also stunned by the flower girl's sudden speed.

"These are nice!" Said Aerith, presenting a small pile of clothes to Aqua before pointing to a small booth covered by a drape and going on to say, "There's a changing room right there. Try them on!"

Aqua accepted the clothes, looking very unsure and uncomfortable but didn't voice her discomfort, just saying, "Ok," and headed towards the booth, slipping inside quickly. At least she could finally change out of the dress, she thought, laying the clothes on a small bench, ignoring the mirror pinned to the wall. Aqua held up the top that was on top of the pile.

She blanched.

It was really, _really,_ short…

Maybe the dress wasn't so bad after all…

Several minutes passed as Aqua dressed and Aerith busied herself y going through more racks of clothes, pausing to examine a particular item every now and again. Stitch and Sparky followed after her quietly, with stitch casting nervous glances towards the booth Aqua was in every few seconds, nervously growling lowly and wringing his claws. Aerith smiled at the nervous alien, saying, "It's alright, Stitch. She's just changing. She should be out in just another minute or two-Oop! Make that sooner!" Aerith said when she saw the drape on Aqua's dressing booth pull back.

Upon seeing Aqua step out of the booth in the clothes she had picked out, Aerith stared blankly for a moment, Stitch and Sparky's gaze just as numb.

Then the flower girl let out an even louder squeal than she had this morning, with Stitch and Sparky's big eyes bugging out of their heads, Stitch's ears rising straight up while Sparky's antennas crackled fiercely. "YOU LOOK SO CUTE!" Aerith squealed, rushing over towards Aqua, Stitch and Sparky following behind slowly.

Aqua looked down at herself, face flushing furiously. She didn't feel cute. She felt…

Exposed.

She was wearing a black and white top…a very small one at that, leaving her midriff completely exposed. She also wore a black and white striped skirt…that just barely covered the tops of her thighs. She didn't have her stockings, leaving her long legs completely uncovered. She liked the light blue gloves to replace her tan ones she used to wear, and the black boots were comfortable than her metal ones, and her Wayfinder was displayed around her neck, and while it complimented the outfit…

Aqua had to admit she was really missing the dress at this point.

Barely able to contain her excitement, Aerith looked back towards one of the shop owners and said, "Well take these!" That had Aqua doing a double-take.

"Wait what?" She exclaimed a little more loudly than she should have. That made Aerith stop and look back at Aqua, eyes watery, lips quivering. "W-what? You…you don't like them, do you?" She asked, before sighing and lowering her head sadly.

Aqua mentally cursed at herself. Aerith was one of the few people on this world who had gone out of her way to help her and Terra in this time of need. So what if the clothes were a little…short. Aerith had gotten them for her with munny out of her own pocket. The least Aqua could do in return was be a little grateful.

"What? No that's not it at all, Aerith!" Aqua said quickly, somehow managing to keep the panic out of her voice. The flower girl blinked, looking back at Aqua, eyes still watery. Smiling reassuringly, (And rather convincingly at that) Aqua assured her, "I really like them. I'm was just surprised you wanted to get the so fast."

Aerith smiled back in relief. "Oh well that's good! But don't you want to wear them out? Instead of the dress?" She asked with a knowing gleam in her emerald eyes, the former verge of tears look gone in an instant. To that Aqua flushed again, quickly looking away and trying to say something, but only managing to get out, "Uh, um, well, you see…"

Once again smiling teasingly (But good-naturedly), Aerith replied reassuringly, "Oh you couldn't fool me Aqua. I've never seen anyone look more uncomfortable in a dress than you before. I though you might like those clothes better since their similar to the ones you wore before, wouldn't you say?"

Now that Aqua thought about it, they really were similar to her old clothes. She had to admit she liked the colors and they were short enough (If just a bit too short) and loose enough to not get in her way if she was in another fight. Aerith had done a great job picking them out.

Smiling for real this time, Aqua said, "Yeah, they are actually. Thank you so much, Aerith."

Winking again and smiling brightly, Aerith said, "Oh think nothing of it! What are friends for, right?" And with that the flower girl walked over to the store owner to pay for Aqua's new clothes.

The water maiden looked down on her new attire, no longer with a critical eye but a more appreciative one.

"Frens."

Blinking, Aqua looked down to see it was Stitch who had spoken, the blue fur ball smiling up at her. He pointed a single claw at Aqua's Wayfinder before stuttering out, "Ah-koo, wah, Air-rath, frens."

Aqua's smile softened and she reached to gently hold her Wayfinder, stroking the silver heart emblem at its center with her thumb and nodded back at Stitch.

This had definitely been a fun little trip…

* * *

"_Hey! Is this how you wanted it?"_

_The sudden voice broke him from his reverie._

_He tore his gaze from the higher monitors, his eyes drawn to the familiar form of Braig glaring at him form the terminal keyboard…_

_And then to the two bodies of that upstart Even and the useless child of Ienzo lying crumpled on the floor…_

_Strange wisps of both light and darkness rising from their forms…_

"_Xehanort!"_

_He looked back towards Braig, sauntering his way towards him, gesturing toward the bodies. "You wanna fill me in?" He demanded, single amber eye narrowed in aggravation._

_Oh, how he tired of hearing that name…_

_Especially from him…_

_Raising his own hand out, purple lightning, darkness and only the smallest flash of light erupted in his open palm to herald the appearance of a mighty ebon and silver double edged blade in his hand._

_The engraved demonic face within the hilt guard's blue eyes stared back into his dark brown orbs._

_Such a strange weapon…_

_This…_

_Keyblade…_

_As that traveler had called it._

"_I am…" he breathed, surprised by how distant his voice sounded…_

_So little emotion in it._

_Braig gasped and flinched back, arms in front of himself in defense._

"_Hey!" He exclaimed, single eye wide with shock at the sight of the Keyblade._

_No doubt he himself had a similar look when the weapon suddenly appeared in his hand when his discovery, one of the creatures formed by the darkness of hearts…_

_Had led him to that door._

_Braig took another step back, expression suddenly fearful._

"_Do you remember now, or…" He trailed off before gasping, looking back at him in shock, eye wide with a sudden realization._

"_Wait, did you never lose your memory?"_

_Too little too late._

_His body seemed to move on its own as he lunged, dropping into a crouch before thrusting the double-edged axe-like tip of his Keyblade-_

_Directly into Braig's chest._

_Right where his heart was._

_He flinched once, and only once, his look one of pain, disbelief, outrage…_

_And fear._

_Perfectly mixed together._

_Light emitted from the wound, blood running down the front of his uniform._

"_That's not my name." He told him, as Braig only continued to look in horror at the weapon impaled in his chest, his single amber eye meeting the single demonic blue eye at the blade's tip._

"_I'm not…'Xehanort'." He spat that wretched sound out like poison._

_Braig only had the strength to turn his head, feebly glaring and reaching towards him with his outstretched arm…_

_And then the light vanished as he sighed his last breath, and slumped to the floor, freeing himself from the Keyblade in a soft 'thump' and slight splatter of blood._

_He lowered his weapon, rose from his crouch and stepped back several paces, looking down on the fallen Freeshooter's still body dispassionately._

_Much like Even and Ienzo's bodies before, seconds after collapsing…_

_A ring of light flashed from the wound on his chest, and the wound began to glow as an orb of light emerged…_

_So even Braig had a heart…_

_His lips began to move once again as he declared:_

* * *

"My name is…"

Pause.

He blinked, confused, then shut his eyes at the sudden light that assailed them, groaning lowly as it seemed to scorch them.

His head was pounding in a terrible migraine and his ears were filled with a low, droning, humming noise that was not helping his head at all.

Terra blinked slowly, his hand still covering his eyes, soothing darkness blocking out the harsh light.

It was then he realized he was sitting on something.

He blinked again, this time confused.

It was too hard to be a chair made of wood, and it felt more like metal. At first he was terribly confused, but then it all came back to him. Cid's revelation that he knew of his 'connection' to Xehanort, and then…

That sudden fatigue…

For a moment Terra wondered if he was collapsed on the floor but when he discovered his position of sitting down, his left arm resting on the arm of what had to be a rather large metal chair, no a _throne,_ he forced himself to lower his hand from his eyes and open them, blinking away the white haze of light to recover his vision.

The light seemed to dim suddenly, then brighten again, and Terra realized certain sections of the wall were glowing strangely. As more of his vision returned, he saw that the glowing was coming from chains engraved onto the floor and leading to the walls, all coming from throne he currently sat on. More confused than ever, Terra looked around wildly, wondering where in all the worlds he was.

It was large chamber, completely constructed of metal with chains engraved into the walls and floors, leading into large, strange symbols. They looked like reversed hearts with three spikes jutting out from the tops. Breathing deeply, trying to keep himself from panicking, Terra looked wildly around, trying to find something, anything, that looked like a way out-

His eyes landed on something lying crumpled on the floor at the end of the chamber, briefly illuminated by the glowing chains on the floor. And he inhaled sharply but didn't exhale, his eyes locked on the object on the floor, wide with disbelief.

Very slowly, he rose from the throne on shaking knees, but somehow, he managed to keep his footing as he slowly approached what lie before him.

Finally he reached it, and he slowly sank back onto his knees, shaking his head, mouth working wordlessly, head shaking. Slowly, slowly…

He reached to place his gloved hand on the shoulder of the armor.

It was predominately colored blue, gray and black, and distinctly feminine in shape…

He knew whose armor this was.

He had seen her don it a dozen times, had been there the day she first summoned it…

It was Aqua's Keyblade Armor.

But that wasn't all…

Terra forced his cobalt orbs away from the armor and onto the likewise familiar weapon impaled in the floor just inches from it's own gauntlet, almost as if it was reaching for it…

Long and thin, the circular hilt guard likewise a mix of gray and black, while the shaft of the blade itself was a grayish blue, with two diamond shaped holes near the guard. The teeth of the blade was square in shape, but the design sported three small bumps. Like a snowflake.

Dangling from the base of the hilt guard, where it had lain still until a moment ago when Terra moved towards it, was a keychain, designed in the shape of a series of water drops.

The form was different…

But he knew this weapon anywhere.

Aqua had dubbed her personal Keyblade 'Rainfell'.

He didn't know the name of this one…

Slowly, almost carefully, he wrapped his hand around the hilt of the blade and eased it free from floor it had been impaled on. He stared at it in wonder, at a total lost. "Why…" He finally breathed out.

"Why is this here?"

And then the room spun again, causing Terra to gasp, dropping the Keyblade with a clatter. He clutched his head, fighting to stay conscious, to stay as _himself…_

But darkness did not steal his thoughts and mind again.

Instead, a soft voice whispered in his ear…

* * *

"_I dived in after you…and I gave you my armor and Keyblade so you could live."_

* * *

Terra opened his eyes, hand falling away from his pounding temple.

His expression was somber.

Once more, he reached down and grasped Aqua's Keyblade, holding it up once more.

Slowly, his somber expression faded to a faint smile.

She had sacrificed this to save him…Condemning herself to darkness…

It was only fitting he return it to her.

_Then she will leave._

He gasped and whirled around, Aqua's Keyblade held at the ready.

But he was alone in the chamber.

Blinking, Terra stood slowly, looking around.

"What…who said that?"

_If you return this to her…she will leave._

Terra gasped again at the sound of the voice, looking around wildly, even looking up at the ceiling and expecting to see Braig, standing upside down and sneering, barrel of his arrowgun aimed right between Terra's eyes.

But as he had seen before, there was no one in the chamber with him.

And the voice went on.

_By giving her the means…she will depart this world…_

Inhaling sharply, growling in annoyance, Terra snapped, "Why would she do that? She's stayed with me ever since we arrived here!"

The earth warrior allowed himself a smirk when the voice did not respond this time.

But then…

_She knows now._

Terra's eyes widened.

_She knows how close now your heart is to falling back into darkness…_

_So why would she stay? Return her weapon and armor…_

_And she will leave this broken world behind._

_Such is her duty as Master._

Terra's grip on the Keyblade tightened furiously, the blade itself shaking slightly.

Slowly he stood up, once more looking at the blade and the armor.

Then, he impaled the Keyblade back where it had rested before.

Terra stared at the armor and Keyblade for another moment, contemplating.

_She will leave._

With a heavy sigh, he turned away from the items and finally saw the door that led out of the chamber.

Without another look back, he started towards the door.

The armor and Keyblade remained where they lie; the light from the chains began to dim, until finally…

The chamber was engulfed in shadows.

And returned to sleep.

* * *

Aqua and Aerith were walking on the upper section of the market district, Aerith smiling brightly while Aqua was nervously fidgeting, looking over her shoulder every now and again for nonexistent eyes she felt like was on her, Stitch and Sparky following after the two women, though occasionally chasing each other off before resuming their pacing behind the water maiden and flower girl. Though she had started to take a liking to the clothes, she still wasn't going to get over this feeling of over-exposure they gave her. Aerith noticed her paranoia and giggled looking at Aqua and saying, "Relax! You look cute ok?"

She didn't mind 'looking cute', she did mind if some lecherous perv was eyeing her legs…

Still smiling, Aerith suddenly exclaimed, "Oh! You still haven't tried any sea-salt ice-cream!" Aqua blinked, her paranoid thoughts interrupted by Aerith's exclamation. "What?" She asked, very confused.

But Aerith was already moving ahead of her, calling back, "Come on! Mr. Scrooge's stand is just around the corner!" At the mention of ice-cream, both Stitch and Sparky were hot on her heels, happily yipping away. Aqua just stood there, watching them get ahead of her.

Again with ice-cream? What was so special about it?

Aerith looked back when she noticed Aqua wasn't by her side anymore. "Come on!" she called. "You've got to try some!"

Sighing, and deciding she'd have to try it sooner or later, Aqua caught up with her at Scrooge's corner. As usual, the old duck was behind the stand, turning just as Aerith and Aqua walked up to him. The duck's eyes lit up upon seeing them.

"Ach! Aerith, my favorit lassie! You've done and blessed me with yer pretty face twice in two days!"

Aerith giggled, hand over her mouth before she dropped it and replied, "Aww, you certainly know how to flatter a girl Mr. Scrooge!"

The old duck smiled, eyes closing, leaning on his cane with both hands. "Charm, my lassie! It's the secret to all my success!"

Still giggling, Aerith held up her hand, four fingers raised. "Four ice-creams please!"

Mr. Scrooge nodded, saying, "Right away, my fair lassie!" and started to move to get the ice-cream but stopped when he caught a glance at Aqua. Instantly, the old duck's shoulder slump and his beak fell in a frown. Sighing, he moved towards Aqua while saying, "Ach…lassie…forgive me for the other day."

Aqua blinked, looking down at Scrooge, very confused by the old duck's depressed disposition, having never seen him like that before. "What? What are you talking about Mr. Scrooge?" she asked, bending down to look at him eye to eye.

He sighed again before meeting Aqua's sapphire gaze and going on, "Yesterday, lassie. When ah asked about the young laddie, Ventus, ye left in such a hurry. It was not my intentions to upset ya."

Despite how sad and remorseful Scrooge sounded, Aqua couldn't help but smile. The poor old duck had been beating himself up for reminding her of Ven? Smiling in understanding and said, "It's alright. You didn't do anything yesterday. I just had a lot on my mind, that's all."

This instantly seemed to put Scrooge at ease, his beak upturning in a smile, shoulders lifting. Eyes closing as he beamed happily, "Ahh, lassie, you've put an old duck's heart t ease!"

That made Aqua laugh a little, and Scrooge chuckled as well before resuming his walk into his freezer while saying, "Now, let me get yer ice-cream then!"

Aqua rose back up, still smiling and looked a Aerith when she noticed the flower girl staring at her, also smiling. "That was nice of you," she said. Aqua nodded, replying, "It wasn't his fault at all, and I feel bad he thought he was the cause."

Aerith's smile slowly fell away, becoming a thoughtful expression.

But before she could say anything else, Scrooge returned with their four ice-creams, two in each hand.

"Here ye are, lassies! Four sea-salt ice-creams! Eat 'em slowly now, mind that dreadful bran-freeze."

He handed one each first to Aerith, then Aqua, and finally Stitch and Sparky. Aerith smiled again, saying, "Thanks so much, Mr. Scrooge!" and reached for her basket where her munny wallet was.

But surprisingly, Scrooge waved her off, making the flower girl blink in surprise.

"Ach, not this time, lassie. Free of charge."

Aerith looked honestly surprised.

"But that's so out of character of you, Mr. Scrooge!"

The old duck winked slyly.

"Aye, exactly." And then he walked off before Aerith could say anything, leaving the flower girl bewildered but smiling again before she looked at Aqua, holding her own ice-cream bar up.

"Cheers."

Stitch and Sparky promptly began devouring theirs, Sparky's antennas crackling to match his zeal over eating his treat. However, seconds later, the yellow alien squealed in displeasure and clutched at his head with his free hand, shaking himself vigorously. Aerith sighed and shook her own head.

"Mr. Scrooge did warn us about brain-freeze, Sparky. You need to eat it slow."

The poor alien was still buzzing lowly, antennas drooping while Stitch just pointed a claw and laughed at his cousin.

Which prompted his yellow cousin to send a spark of thunder at his blue counterpart, making him yelp and jump, fur on end, and his claws to lose their grip on his own ice-cream. Stitch cried out in panic when he saw his bar slip and fall onto the ground, cracking in half. Now it was Sparky who was pointing and laughing.

Stitch growled at his cousin, ears low, eyes narrowed.

Sparky buzzed an "Uh-oh," before screeching as Stitch snarled viciously and leapt to tackle his cousin. Spark disappeared in a shot of lightning though Stitch chased after his cousin in hot pursuit. Aerith just sighed at the two aliens antics.

"Can't take them anywhere, I swear sometimes…"

Aqua was watching the two chase each other as well, districted when-

"Hey!" "There's another one!" "Hmph."

A burst of blue, yellow and red flashed in front of Aqua, making her gasp and flinch back as those three pixies from the other day suddenly floated in front of her face.

Aerith saw them and sighed, shaking her head.

All Aqua could do was stare at the pixies, too caught off guard to even say something when the blonde one exclaimed, "Oooh, this one is prettier than that ugly orange one!"

The brunette with mixed matched eyes nodded and said, "I like the blue too!"

The gray-haired leather clad one, with her arms crossed as usual just said gruffly, "Whatever. Let's just grab it and go."

At first Aqua had no idea what they were talking about. But then the colors blue and orange finally sunk in and she realized they were about to snatch her Wayfinder! She instinctively placed a hand over her precious possession just as the pixies were leaning in.

When the pixies were blocked off from their prize, they each exclaimed, "Hey!" and looked up. When they saw Aqua's familiar face, the blonde huffed and put her hands on her hip, shouting, "Oh, not you again!"

The leather clad one snarled, "Hand that over."

The blonde nodded and exclaimed, "Yeah! We saw it first this time!"

Aqua gave the fairies a disbelieving look. "But it was around _my_ neck."

The leather clad fairy snorted a, "So?"

Aqua furrowed her brow, meeting the fairies scowl with her own. "So it's mine."

The blonde shook her little arms in a frenzy while shrieking, "Nuh-uh! We saw it first! You got to keep that ugly orange one so we want that one!"

Aqua stood her ground while meeting the two annoyed fairies gazes evenly. "You can't have this," she said firmly.

The gray and blonde fairies were leaning closer in, about to-

"Sold!"

That sudden declaration made both the fairies and Aqua blink and turn their heads.

They saw Aerith placing a single yellow munny gem in her basket, smiling in satsifaction, while the brunette fairy held up a single white flower in triumph.

"Ta-da!" She said, holding the flower with both hands.

The blonde waved her arms in frantic no. "Ack! No! Don't spend our munny!"

The gray-haired one groaned, slapping her face. "You idiot! You know how hard it was to just steal that one munny?"

The brunette sadly lowered the flower, lips quivering. "But…but it's so pretty…"

The gray-haired one suddenly lunged forward, trying to snatch the flower, but the brunette dodged deftly. "Hey!" she exclaimed indignantly. "Give it!" Barked the leather clad fairy. The brunette fairy just stuck out her tongue and disappeared in a burst of blue.

Growling, the gray-haired one followed in a flash of red.

The blonde blinked, looking around and seeing she was alone. When she saw this, and Aqua's dangerous smirk, she let out a cry of "Eep!" she vanished in a burst of yellow after her companions.

Silence.

Then Aqua looked at Aerith and asked, "Does that happen a lot?"

The flower girl sighed, shaking her head before responding, "A little too often."

She looked back at Aqua, noticing she still hadn't touched her ice-cream. "It'll melt," She said.

The water maiden blinked, having once more been lost in her thoughts. She looked at Aerith, who just kept smiling and said, "You need to try it before it melts. Come on, you didn't eat the other one, you need to at least you try this one."

Aqua looked at the bar critically, noting that was colored a light blue, one of her favorite colors (Obviously), though she was slightly put off by the name of the ice-cream. Sea-salt? What in all the worlds was that going to taste like?

But after glancing at Aerith and seeing her encouraging smile (Was this girl ever not smiling?), Aqua sighed in defeat, shrugged, closed her eyes and took a slow lick from the bar.

Almost instantly her eyes snapped open, wide as saucers.

"Wow," she breathed.

This was _really_ good.

Aerith giggled, winking.

"Told ya."

Aqua had to laugh as well. "Well, when you're right, you're right," she admitted.

Aerith laughed, but said no more, just enjoying her own ice-cream.

The two women stood there in silence, occasionally spotting Stitch and Sparky chasing after each other.

Unsurprisingly, it was Aerith yet again who broke the silence.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Aqua blinked in mid lick of ice-cream. She looked at Aerith, sapphire orbs confused. "Talk about what?" she asked.

Aerith's smile was knowing now, no longer teasing, her emerald eyes soft and full of understanding. What exactly she understood, Aqua didn't know.

"Do you want to talk about what's going on between you and Terra?" Clarified Aerith.

Aqua froze, though her eyes did not widen, merely narrow slightly.

Ah.

She understood that.

"There's nothing to talk about," Aqua finally said, tone clipped.

Aerith sighed softly, brushing her brown locks out of her face.

"Aqua, I know it's none of my business…but…well, I lied to you this morning."

That made Aqua look at Aerith, expression confused, eyes mistrustful.

"This morning, I didn't just see Cid and Terra leave. Terra talked to me."

She paused, but Aqua just continued to eye her, keeping quiet, expression betraying nothing. Sighing, Aerith continued.

"He…he asked me to stay with you today, to be by your side, watch you and make sure you were safe. Safe from what, I don't know."

_A certain one-eyed sociopath, _her mind whispered.

Aerith met Aqua's gaze, her smile finally a frown.

"He sounded so scared and worried about you, Aqua. He didn't look like he slept a wink. I don't know what happened but I couldn't refuse his offer…but I…" She went quiet for a moment.

Finally, she said, "I don't think I needed to be by your side today…"

She looked at Aqua, emerald meeting sapphire.

"I think he needed to be by your side today."

Aqua remained quiet, slowly looking away.

Aerith watched her for several moments, fearful she had overstepped her bounds.

Finally, Aqua sighed, shaking her head and smiling a little.

"Stubborn man."

To that, Aerith could only smile back.

"Aren't they all?" She reminded her.

Aqua hummed softly, nodding at that.

Then she turned towards Aerith, finally, really smiling, not any of those forced fakes form throughout the day.

"You said Terra and Cid went to the castle, right?"

Aerith nodded, smiling back. "Yep, yep."

Aqua nodded, and took another lick of her bar before looking back at Aerith and saying, "Thank you so much for the fun day out, Aerith. And the new clothes, too. I really appreciate it." Then the water maiden started towards the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Aerith called after her, but their was a knowing gleam of mirth in her eyes.

Aqua paused just as she reached the steps.

When she looked back, she replied simply, "To where I should have been today."

And then she began descending the stairs, not moving really fast, but still taking them two at a time.

Aerith sighed deeply, smiling once again.

Well, there was one couple who might resolve their differences soon enough.

Now if she could just get those _other two_ and-

Her whole body shuddered, her skin prickling with goose-bumps and she inhaled sharply and exhaled just as painfully, another painful shudder going through her.

Aerith nearly stumbled, dropping her ice-cream bar so her hand could clutch at her chest.

She breathed quickly, small beads of sweat dotting her forehead. The flower girl heard Stitch and Sparky's panicked cries and the two were by her side in an instant, Stitch peering up her, big eyes fret with worry. Aerith forced herself to smile reassuringly. "I-I'm alright, Stitch. Just…just some of that nasty brain-freeze, that's all."

Neither alien looked convinced.

Aerith righted herself, slowly raising her head to look around the rooftops, her emerald orbs lingering on the deepening shadows.

For a horrible split-second…

She had felt as if a blade had run itself through her chest.

Swallowing deeply, Aerith brushed the skirt of her dress and followed after Aqua down the steps, Stitch and Sparky on her heels.

While back at the shopping district…

The wind blew gently, carrying with it a single black feather…

* * *

Terra had managed to find his way out of the labyrinth underneath the lab. He had done his best to ignore the chained doors filling the brightly lit hallway that had that strange chamber at the end of it. Just looking at those doors made him uneasy…

Filled his head with the faint sound of people screaming in agony and pleading for mercy from the merciless…

Terra arrived back in the lab with the computer terminal, only stopping long enough to collect his sword, trying to keep his mind away from both the dark thoughts and memories of the monster that had worn his body like a new suit…

And the fact he had left Aqua's armor and Keyblade down below in that horrible place.

But every time he considered turning and going back…

_She will leave you._

And that was enough to make him keep going forward, through the office and the crumpling, musty hallways.

Terra hated this castle.

Every time he came here he discovered something he simply didn't want to know. He felt like he was losing more of himself the longer he stayed.

He breathed much more easily once he arrived outside, pausing to inhale slowly, and exhale just as slowly. Cleanse himself.

What now, he asked himself, moving onto the platform that led to the canyon passes back to the bailey, and then back to town.

Cid had said they had a means of potentially tracking and locating Braig…But what would the Freeshooter being doing in the meantime? For that mater, what should Terra himself be doing?

He wanted to rest, he was exhausted. He had been up all night, sitting on his bed, door open, staring at Aqua's door, sword held at the ready in case the Freeshooter proved his cowardly nature by attacking them when he thought they would be most vulnerable.

Terra could still hear his mocking sneer.

"_I've got my eye on the both of you."_

Terra stopped walking, only halfway across the chasm that led into the canyon under construction. He tipped his head back, cobalt eyes scanning the cliff tops, jumping onto every shadow that shifted, lingering on cliff sides hidden in darkness.

"Where are you, Braig?" He asked to nothing. As expected, his response was also nothing.

Sighing deeply, shoulders slumping, he bowed his head, looking back towards the passages ahead-

He blinked, not even resuming his stride. Someone was approaching him instead, having just emerged from the canyon side. At first, because of the distance, he couldn't recognize the person at all.

But as they-she- got closer, Terra recognized her instantly.

He would always recognize her.

It was Aqua.

Panic filled him for a moment as he wondered if Aerith had done as he had asked when he saw she was alone. Even more panic filled him as he remembered had left her armor and Keyblade in that terrible chamber. But he forced himself to calm down, keeping his face blank as she continued to approach.

Though, as she got closer, Terra noticed her attire was…

Much different then what he was used too.

His eyes widened when she got close enough and he could really se what she was wearing.

As long as he had known her, Aqua had always dressed very conservatively, with only minimal skin exposed.

So you could imagine his dumbfounded look (His jaw was practically on the ground) when he saw how…_exposed _she was.

"You…" He breathed out when she finally stood in front of him, looking up at him from her shorter height. She looked…

"You look amazing," He finally said, rather lamely, he thought.

She blushed, looking away from his eyes, nervously brushing a lock of her hair from his face. By the gods, he loved seeing her cheeks color like that…

Then she looked back at him for a moment, seeming to study his face.

"You look terrible," she replied.

To that, Terra said nothing.

"Did you sleep any, last night?" she asked.

"No," was all he replied.

She didn't press the issue, as they both knew it was pointless.

They knew why he hadn't slept.

Silence for several heartbeats.

Then, "You…you really like them?" she asked hesitantly meeting his eyes again.

He nodded, smiling reassuringly. His brow furrowed slightly, though. "What brought this on?" He asked.

Aqua looked away again, casually shrugging. "Aerith took me clothes shopping today. She picked these out for me."

That had him grinning.

"I like her taste."

Aqua shot him a look, and Terra had to resist laughing.

Oh how he loved being around her…

She made the weight that seemed to have been crushing him since he first woke up in her arms in that dark realm much more bearable.

But then, Aqua said quietly, "She also told me you asked her to spend the day with me."

Terra's grin slowly faltered.

So, she had told her.

But knowing Aqua, she would have found out one way or another.

He nodded in affirmation.

"I did. I wanted someone watching you, making sure you were safe."

Though admittedly he would have preferred someone who could fight, but there was no way in all the worlds he would have asked Leon or Yuffie. He might have asked Cloud or Tifa, but he had no idea where either one of them was. Aerith was his next best choice.

Aqua sighed, crossing her arms before looking back at Terra, her face filled with…disappointment?

"I'm not the one who needs protecting." She declared.

Terra's eyes narrowed, though you could see the shock in them either way.

"What?" He gasped out.

Aqua kept her gaze even and level with his.

"You heard me. Terra, I'm more than capable of defending myself form a creep like Braig. I've beaten him before…but you, Terra…" She sighed softly, shoulders rising and falling. "You're the one who might need to be protected Terra."

Terra's eyes narrowed into slits, his jaw grinding down. "So. You think I'm weak?" He asked, tone even, but with the slightest hint of fury ready to bare its fangs.

Aqua shook her head. "No, I know for a fact you're strong. But you're only at half-strength, at best, without the Keyblade."

Terra made a disgusted noise, moving past Aqua suddenly. He looked over his shoulder, seeing she had turned to keep her eyes on him, but had not followed. He stopped a few feet away form her and declared, "I have power. I don't need the Keyblade."

Aqua's eyes expressed her disappointment at his words.

"You know where that kind of power leads."

He knew all to well…

He had been there, but she had lived in it.

Terra forced himself to look away from aqua, turning his back on her completely.

"It's all I have, Aqua. Everything else is gone. Taken away form me…"

By Xehanort.

Something warm slipped into his hand, making him jump and whirl around. Aqua had closed the distance between herself and Terra, her disappointment gone, replaced by deep melancholy.

"You have me," she reminded him, voice soft and pained.

He wanted to squeeze her hand and pull her close to him.

He wanted to hold her again like he had the night before.

But instead he wrenched his hand free and took more steps away form her.

"I…I can't be with you, Aqua."

If her expression had been pained before, their her eyes were filled with agony now. "But why," she pled. "Why not, Terra? You're…" She reached for something around her neck, grasping it gently. Terra saw a faint hint of blue.

Her Wayfinder.

The weight of his own, always in his pocket since she had returned it to him, suddenly felt much heavier, its presence painfully reminded.

She looked at him, and said so softly he almost missed her words completely:

"You're all I have left, too."

Oh, how his heart ached to see her in such turmoil, to be so close to her…

And knowing that he was both the source of her misery and how badly he wanted to console, but held himself back.

He couldn't touch her.

He couldn't…couldn't risk tainting her.

"Aqua…" He breathed, hedging a step closer to her, reaching for her but not touching her. He sighed, dropping his hand.

"I can't…I can't be with you…because…" He raised his hand, clutching his chest, feeling his heart pounding against his ribcage. "As long this darkness…this terrible darkness that I simply can't seem to escape…remains in my heart…" He dropped his hand, head bowing.

"…then I can't risk being with you and tainting your light."

Silence between them, the wind softly blowing, making the edges of his black coat ripple.

His eyes were closed when he felt a familiar warmth caress his cheek. Terra opened his eyes…and was surprised to see Aqua's smiling face staring back at him.

"Didn't I tell you," she asked quietly, her breath mingling with his.

"I will be your light…and…"

She clutched his hand again and raised it back to his chest, with both their hands resting over his heart.

She went on, voice still just as soft, "And sometimes…to cast out the darkness…the light has to expose it first." She reached with her free hand, stroking his cheek, just under his eye.

"I know your heart might always have darkness inside it…and that you could be led astray again…But I promise you, I will not let that happen again."

Terra sighed, turning his head, trying to pull away from her touch, but she guided his gaze back to hers.

"How?" He asked.

She smiled, laughing softly. "I told you, didn't I? Or were you not listening again?" She teased.

Despite himself, Terra smiled back, and found himself locking his other hand with hers that still stroked his cheek.

They stood there, hand in hand.

And then it was she who leaned in close, this time.

"I'll be your light," she breathed against his lips.

"And I'll help you escape this darkness," she said, just as her lisp touched his.

It was a simple kiss, much like their first one, innocent.

Terra pulled away this time, eyes closed, breathing heavy, as was Aqua's, who watched him with half-lidded eyes. As Terra began to open his own, she felt a moment's panic when she saw a flash of bright amber, like the heart of a raging fire…

But the momentary flash was drowned by proud, noble cobalt and Terra swiftly and suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace.

Aqua's heart soared.

He didn't pull away form her this time.

He wasn't going to run again.

Aqua returned Terra's embrace with equal fervor, whispering against his shoulder, "I promise Terra…I'll always be here for you…"

Terra held her close, eyes closed again, not hearing her words, but feeling her warmth.

The warmth of her body…

And her heart…

_No one…_

His eyes opened slowly…

Revealing burning amber orbs, with raging orange slowly bleeding over the amber.

_No one will take her from me,_ he vowed, eyes slowly changing back to their normal color.

He would plunge into deeper darkness still if it meant protecting his light.

And he would not hesitate.

But for now…

He would enjoy the feel o her against him…

And savor nothing else.

* * *

It was night.

Late into the night.

The town was quiet and still.

The castle depths, quieter and stiller.

The terminal was dark and cold.

And then…

The screen flashed as fingers began to rapidly type away.

"What the" Tron gasped.

"Wait- How- Those codes- How do you- No! Wait! Stop! What're you- NO! You can't reactivate-"

But then the program went silent, and the screen flashed the words: SECRUITY OVERRIDE.

The keys continued to be pounded until finally, the hands went still.

A voice chuckled, lips curling into a sneer.

"End of line, man." Said Braig, amber eye glinting.

He bowed his head, chuckling lowly.

The chuckling grew louder, into laughter.

And louder still, into a full-fledged fit of insane cackling.

He was still laughing as he left the lab, his madness echoing around the empty walls.

While on the computer screen it now read:

HEARTLESS MANUFACTURE PLANT REACTIVATED.

* * *

(Reclines on my throne, decked out in my CLU 2 cosplay)

Greetings programs!

Guess what movie I've been watching?

Seriously, you'll never guess.

Hola, faithful readers! Trickster's-Inferno's-…god I go through usernames.

Screw it, call me whatever you want.

Chapter nine! Half-way there!

…yeah I don't like this chapter.

Hell, I don't like this story.

But popular consensus says its good, and who am I to argue?

Hey, I just realized what time it is!

(Final Fantasy victory fanfare plays)

It's REVIEW RESPONSE TIME!

…haven't done this in a while. I'm like three chapters overdue for this. I'm probably going to miss some responses (This always happens when I let the reviews pile on) So forgive me if I miss you.

Review Responses:

Yue Twili: 1: TWILI! (Glomps) Twili…Oh, ahem. (Unglomps). Yes they were now, weren't they? (Eye wriggle). Not bad for one night. This will be fun! But a pain in the you know what to write. 2: Shiznit just got serious. Oh, hell will look nice when I'm done with Terra and Aqua…

Archsage328: 1: (Snaps fingers. Cookies rain down on you.) That trick also works with plushies. Wait does everyone want Zack in this story? I love Zack, don't get me wrong, but he isn't even from Radiant Garden. And I'm pretty sure he's dead. Ironically enough, I was working on a draft for a Birth by Sleep and Crisis Core crossover set in Radiant Garden…but I chose to do this story instead. After reading so many reviews about everyone wanting Zack…I think I did the wrong one.

Jimbobob5536: 1: Yes, but it would be a cop out, ya know? 2: My muse usually just headbutts me like a cat and forces me onto the computer at random intervals.

Mauralucky7: 1: I'm not as awesome as many people seem to think. I love Braig too. He such a jerk. Thank ye, though I'm still convinced I suck at fluff and romance. Darn you Xehanort, you ruined the hot and heavy stuff. Thank you once again.

AquastormXIV: Hey, haven't heard from you in a loooong time. Thought you moved on. (As in got published). Let the craziness out, that's what I do. Thank you, but I'm still pretty convinced I suck as a writer in general. Come one, cut Terra a brake. He's been smacked around enough. (And he's gonna get smacked around some more before I'm done). Ah yes, heard about that one. I like messing with eyes, for they are the windows to the soul. I think he's his own moogle. (Crack) OH GOD MY LEG! Kupoooo!

Lucia Tsukiyomi-hime: 1: Pretty sure everyone knew it was Braig. 2: I think this chapter answered that.

RealmofDawn: 1: does six days count as fast?

Riku Uzumaki: 1: so the plot was boring and loose until now? Jk. 2: Your comments pretty self-explanatory.

Twilight Cardmistress: 1: Yes, but the multiple possibilities give me a headache. Its one of my fave couples don't get me wrong. Aw, Venven might show up. Don't be hating the Disney trio! This story doesn't want to end. I need to jam a stake through its heart… Damn it, everybody knew it was him. Well, good. Theyre a pain to write.

MEleeSmasher: 1: So…a story about Terra and Aqua…mostly Terra…and yet you think Ven is the crux of the matter. 2: Well let's see…he's had the roughest past I've ever seen, helped murder his foster father, got possessed by an old man and than committed universal genocide. He's allowed to be a little angry.

DarkNekoGirl92: 1: Holy crap double post! Holy crap double post! I didn't think that was possible… Just wait till next chapter, that one will blow you away!

Draconic: Yeah, he kinda was. Ok, seriously people. Where are guys getting Zack from? I MENTIONED HIM IN PASSING!

LovelyLadyAnne: 1: Ooh, long reviews fro ma new reader. I like… 2: Love? Hun? You're making me blush…

Delphigirl689: 1: I do a terrible job and nothing will convince otherwise…except Stephen King or Neil Gaiman. And I'm pretty sure they don't read fanfiction.

JoeyHazelLM: 1: Yore welcome, but you should be thanking CloudKittyVII.

Thudne-Angelsit. Rawr: 1: Wait, didn't I already respond to this? 2: Well, good for you, bad for them.

SirenMist: 1: I too am guilty of offline reviewing. Glad you like this. Cause I certainly don't.

Taeniae: Thank you.

TonberryBlue: Yet another reader I haven't heard from in forever. Well, I guess that's good. But I'm still convinced there are better works out there.

Guest: Ok.

MonMonCandie: 1: Oh my dearest MonMon, you give me lots of praise I simply do not deserve. But I thank you anyway. Hearing such compliments from a writer of your talent is flattering beyond belief, especially when I consider your TerAqua much better than my own. 2: There's plenty of things wrong with that chapter and this one. But if you and others like it…

Guest # 2: Continuation of BBS? You're reading the wrong story my friend.

Iceandfire66: I hope you don't mind I don't respond to this since we already chatted before. But its still good to hear form you.

Odette115: 1: Yay new reader! Wait, you read Lingering Vengeance? 2: Well, thank you. Seriously, you read Lingering? I had assumed that story had been forgotten by now. Enjoy Body and soul!

Well, I think that's it.

I think.

As always, love hearing from you guys…even if I don't deserve nay of this praise.

Till the next chapter everyone. Don't expect it anytime soon, I start college Thursday.

Quick off topic question: How does one go about getting a Beta? Cause I'm tired of finding really minor mistakes throughout my chapters. I need help with my editing.


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